


The Many Faces Of Venus

by calore



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Han Jumin Learns How Not To Be A Dick, Hurt/Comfort, Kang Jaehee Learns How To Communicate Feelings, Kang Jaehee's Route (Mystic Messenger), M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, a LOT of astrological symbolism... i analyzed everyone's birth chart for this, also mc has a name bc i needed A Character, also this will not be nice to rika u have been warned, both main characters are oblivious as HELL, her name is chaeyoung she looks like mc3 :), in every sense of the word, long ass chapters just a heads up, longfic, spoilers for the secret endings, this is literally just an excessively long character analysis, this whole thing can be described as business talk but make it homoerotic, we stan useless sapphics :)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:27:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25387549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calore/pseuds/calore
Summary: Kang Jaehee is a stranger to life. At 25, she has decided to start over, taking a path she never imagined she'd take: one chosen by her heart. It is not an easy journey, filled with roadblocks and confusing signs pointing to different directions. And there's the ever-present question in her head ofwho are you, really?Thankfully, she has Min Chaeyoung by her side, making everything easier...Except for her feelings.Min Chaeyoung has a lot on her plate. Between planning out a coffee shop, organizing a fundraiser party, and figuring out where the RFA's leader went, her hands are more than full. And her ever-increasing confusion regarding her feelings for Kang Jaehee doesn't help much.Despite that, she is determined to get to the bottom of the RFA's secret, so that her newfound family could be free of threats, and she and her best friend could start a new life together.(Continuation of Jaehee's route, going from the normal ending up to the AE.)
Relationships: 707 | Choi Luciel & Main Character, Han Jumin & Kang Jaehee, Han Jumin & Main Character, Han Jumin/V | Kim Jihyun, Kang Jaehee & Main Character (Mystic Messenger), Kang Jaehee & Zen | Ryu Hyun, Kang Jaehee/Main Character (Mystic Messenger)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 26





	1. An Agreement

**Author's Note:**

> hey whatsup i was bitter at how many threads were left open after jaehee's route ends (not only The Romance but like... what happened to v??) so i decided to come up with this instead of doing hw :)) and also i am a Sucker for slo burn so.... here ya go lesbians. 
> 
> also this is my first fic for mysme so if any of u have any suggestions pls leave them in the comments i'll appreiate them!!

CHAEYOUNG WAS MARVELED at the sheer enormity of this place. It was perhaps the largest, most luxurious apartment complex she’d ever seen, and she walked carefully around it, afraid to touch anything. As she made her way through the lobby, she pondered how much living in a place like this might cost-- probably more than she and her whole family combined could make in a lifetime. It was ridiculous. Even more ridiculous was that she’d come so close to being a part of this world… she wanted to laugh at the idea of her in between high-profile business leaders. Suddenly, rejecting Jumin’s proposal didn’t seem so mean. She was never meant for this, anyway. 

She went over what she’d tell Jumin in her head as she made her way up to his penthouse-- on the 100th floor. She’d be there a while, which gave her time to think. How would Jumin take this? Probably not well, he’d done everything in his power at the party to convince her to take his offer, or not take Jaehee’s more like. On top of that, he’d been very hurt over Jaehee quitting. Even if he didn’t openly admit it, the whole RFA could see that was what was truly troubling him. Chaeyoung didn’t blame him. She’d be pretty bummed at losing someone as amazing as Kang Jaehee.

The elevator doors opened with a ding, and Chaeyoung took a deep breath. This was it. She stepped into the penthouse’s foyer, greeted by eclectic modern surroundings. She looked around, admiring the modern artwork on the walls and the many plants breathing life into the otherwise monochromatic space. This was… honestly not how Chaeyoung expected Han Jumin’s house to look like, she’d imagined something much more classic. She knew, from their many conversations and the man’s general aura, that he had a taste for the traditional. _Is this what Seven calls “gap moe”?_ she wondered as she examined a very colorful painting of what looked like a cat. 

She was taken out of her wandering by a deep voice behind her. “Excuse me, are you miss Min Chaeyoung?”

Chaeyoung whipped around to see a security guard. She tensed at the sight, before remembering Jumin usually carried plenty of security guards around him. This really is a different world. “Yes, I am.”

He then escorted her into a living room, decorated in the same style as the foyer, though with less flash. Jumin sat in a couch, but Chaeyoung wasn’t paying attention to him, but to the floor-to-ceiling window behind him, which offered a perfect view of Seoul’s skyline. It took her breath away, and she lost herself in the thousands of lights. So much so that she’d missed Jumin’s greeting, until he was standing next to her. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” his deep voice sent shivers through Chaeyoung. 

“Very…” she replied, breathy. 

Jumin turned to face her. “I’m glad you scheduled this meeting. I’ve been wanting to see you.”

Chaeyoung didn’t know what to say at that. She dug her hands deeper into her coat pockets. “I’m glad you agreed to meet. This place is very nice.”

Jumin chuckled, a low sound that stirred something in Chaeyoung’s stomach. “It is. The decorators outdid themselves. Would you like some wine?”

Chaeyoung considered his request for a bit. She could use some alcohol for this… “Sure.”

“Alright, then. Make yourself comfortable,” he said as he went to grab the wine and glasses. Chaeyoung moved over to sit in the center of a couch shaped like a semicircle. Jumin came over handing her a glass of wine while commenting a little on what kind of wine it was and where he’d got it. Chaeyoung wasn’t really listening, and drank a few gulps in one go, hoping to ease her nerves. He frowned slightly at this. She set her glass down on the coffee table before curling her hands together, elbows resting on her knees. Jumin went to sit in the same spot as before, legs crossed. No one spoke for a moment. Chaeyoung’s nerves rose. 

“I hope you’re doing well, Chaeyoung. And congratulations again on the party,” Jumin said, breaking the silence.

She smiled. “Thank you, Jumin. How have you been?” Then, thinking it might ease him, she added, “How’s Elizabeth the 3rd?”

It had the desired effect, and he smiled, remembering his beloved cat. “She’s good, thank you for asking, she’s asleep in my bed right now. She’s been stressed these past few days, I can tell. I haven’t been able to give her the attention she deserves.” He leaned back, resting his elbow on the backrest and propping his head in his hand. “Ah… these days have been challenging, barely manageable. Though I have to say, the messenger and Elizabeth the 3rd have been a greater comfort than ever, around the hell that was work. Assistant Kang may have left in peace… but the office has been a war zone ever since.”

Chaeyoung wanted to laugh a little, he was most likely exaggerating. “Yes, I can tell it’s taking a toll on you. Hope you find someone capable soon.”

He straightened at that. “Oh, about that…”

Chaeyoung perked up, hands tightening. 

“I was meaning to ask you… Are you done considering my request? From the party? Have you… made your choice?”

She swallowed, untangling her hands and seating back. “That’s actually what I wanted to talk about today…” Her voice was low, weakened by nerves. “Jumin?”

The look he gave her made her heart sink. He looked truly heartbroken, and she felt guilty, for a quick second. Then she remembered Jaehee, what she had gone through. How Chaeyoung could never do that, could never be what he needed. She imagined the look on Jaehee’s face if she were to tell him yes and tell her no, and her heart sank further. Yes, she was making the right choice. 

“I’m sorry, Jumin,” she said after a beat, finding her voice again, “but I’ll have to reject your offer.”

“So you’re taking hers.” he grumbled, startling Chaeyoung. He sounded… resentful, almost? I should’ve expected something like this, Chaeyoung told herself with a sigh. This was all starting to get annoying, like a tug of war between two angry siblings over a favorite toy, and Chaeyoung wanted nothing more than to end it, to make them make amends, to not be the reason for their fallout. But she doubted that’d happen anytime soon. Not with the wound of Jaehee’s leave still fresh on him and Chaeyoung’s choices rubbing salt on it. 

She regretted her next words. “Yes, I… I really am sorry, Jumin, I know how much you were looking forward to the possibility of me working for you, but the thing is, I am simply not qualified for the job.”

“I am looking for someone trustworthy right now, not specifically someone qualified, and you must be the person I trust the most to carry out this job. It will not be difficult to learn what you’ll have to do,” he rambled. 

Chaeyoung snorted. He was really insisting. “Your past employees would say otherwise.”

“I know, but you will not have to worry about the same things they did. I will meet all your demands, I can guarantee that.”

Chaeyoung shook her head. “I appreciate that, Jumin, but…” she looked him in the eye, “I really am not qualified. You need someone who is diligent, and responsible, and who knows the business world, knows how to do research and hold themselves up like that and I’m just-- I’m just not cut for this job, Jumin, that is all. I’m a freelance illustrator. I am used to working under my own schedule, not to being under someone’s beck and call. I honestly don’t see a way in which I can be useful to you, and I want you to work with someone actually helpful, for your own sake.” She breathed out, leaning back into the couch. “That is all, I swear.”

He listened intently to her explanation, nodding at the end. Chaeyoung’s heart pounded in her chest, waiting for his answer. Then, she could move on from this useless playfight. Though nothing would be fixed, not really.

He took a slow sip of his wine before speaking. “I understand, though I lament your choice. I do believe we would’ve worked well together.”

Chaeyoung’s brows furrowed. Was she just overreacting or was there a hidden meaning in his words? Electing to let it pass, she took a sip of her wine too. 

“Oh well,” Jumin said, after a second. “Thank you for notifying me, Chaeyoung. Now I must resume my search for an assistant…” Then, lower, as if expecting her not to hear, he said, “I’m really not looking forward to that… God.”

Chaeyoung licked her lips, thinking. She was still not done for the night, she remembered, she needed to sort one more thing out with him before she left… “Jumin?”

He hummed, looking at her. This time, his eyes held no plea, coldness bleeding into them once more. 

“Even though I… won't be able to help you the way you want me to,” Chaeyoung struggled to find words for what she was trying to say, “I still want to help you with anything you need. I’m still your friend, you know?”

His eyes softened at that. She took it as permission to continue. “I remember you saying… something was troubling you at the party, and you wanted my advice on it….”

Jumin scoffed. “It’s useless, now, do not worry about it--”

“No…” she interrupted him. “Jumin, I can see something is getting to you, and it’s not just Jaehee.” She shook her head, before continuing. “And I really don’t want the RFA to feel as tense as it is right now, not after the party, not after you guys got closer to each other again--”

“Chaeyoung, please, there really is nothing anyone can do about it.” His tone was final. “It was stupid of me, thinking I could alter his choice. What’s done is done. We just have to deal with the aftermath now.”

But she was not giving up on this. Her eyes narrowed as the dots connected in her mind. “This is about V, right?” she whispered. 

Jumin sighed. “You’re very perceptive.”

Chaeyoung smiled slightly. “Thank you. That’s kind of my job.” After a while, she said, “so, what’s going on, exactly?”

He huffed, blinking slowly. Chaeyoung stared at him, frowning, as he thought out his explanation. “He… might be doing something he’ll regret.”

Her frown deepened. “What do you mean?”

Jumin looked away from her gaze. “V has always been… the self-sacrificial type. He was always the kind to give himself over to prevent his friends from getting hurt. I think… I think he might have gone a little too far this time.”

Chaeyoung’s eyes widened as he spoke. “You’re talking about the hacker situation, right? About… him, uh, ‘solving’ it?”

Jumin nodded, grabbing his wine glass. “Yes, I… I think he may have solved it… by turning himself in to them, giving them what they finally want.”

Chaeyoung’s breath hitched. “Oh, no…” If this meant what she thought it did, then the RFA must be more jeopardized than ever before. “So… the hacker… he’s still around?”

“No, I don't think so,” Jumin admitted, “If my assumptions are correct then they’ll get off our ass, for now. But then they’re going to want more. They’re going to come back to taunt us, and who knows who’ll be next?”

“So what you’re saying is,” Chaeyoung said as she connected the dots, “V turned himself in to the hacker to delay whatever major effect they were going for?”

“Pretty much, yes.”

“So…” she continued, “Now what…”

“We have to get him back, somehow.” Jumin explained. “Make some compromise with the hacker. If they want money, we’ve got plenty of that. If it’s something else, then… we’ll see what we do. But we have to solve this, once and for all if we want to be truly safe.”

Safe… the word echoed through Chaeyoung’s head. It felt like heartbreak, almost. For the past five days, she’d believed they were all truly safe. It had seemed like it. With Jaehee taking a new step in her life, Yoosung finding his motivation for school again, the party… it seemed as if the sun was finally shining upon the RFA, and they were all getting their happy ending. When the truth was that they were just living on borrowed time. 

“So, where do we start looking?”

Jumin seemed taken aback by this, and he shook his head. “I don’t know…”

“Did he, um, did he tell you anything about where he went, Jumin?” He probably hadn’t but it didn’t hurt to ask, Chaeyoung thought. 

“Yes, actually,” he perked up. “Though I’m not sure if what he told me is at all helpful.”

“What did he tell you, Jumin?”

“He said he was going to where Rika was”

“Oh my god…” Chaeyoung felt herself sink. “But wait. Hold on,” she thought out loud. 

Jumin frowned. She almost stopped from saying what she wanted to say, afraid it would be too insensitive, but she needed to say it. “I might be getting a little bit too ahead of myself here, but I don’t think V meant… what you think he meant.”

Jumin’s frown deepened. “What do you mean?”

Her next words were paused. “What I’m saying is,” she breathed in, “I don’t think Rika… is actually dead, Jumin.”

He blinked at her in disbelief, one, two, three, four, five times. Shook his head, narrowing his eyes. She breathed shallowly. It felt as if any move, from either of them, would explode the balloon of tension in the room, sending Jumin after Chaeyoung like a starving predator.

Chaeyoung was the one to break the silence, desperate. “Listen.--”

“Chaeyoung.” Jumin reprimanded, keeping his voice leveled.

“Listen, Jumin, let me explain this.” Her voice was unusually high. “Just think about like… The messages! Unknown. He sent me to her apartment, for one.”

“He could’ve very well learned of that apartment location when she was alive.”

“... You’re right. But also… why did he do it now? He could’ve done it earlier.”

“Perhaps he had always planned to do it now--”

“Two years after her death?”

“--Or perhaps only now has someone been curious enough to download the messenger app. How did you come across it, in the first place?”

“I didn’t-- I didn’t come across it. I found the phone on the subway. I was going to turn it in to the police but couldn’t find any info as to whose it might be. The RFA app was the only strange identifier there so I went in. There I was connected with Unknown who told me I had to go to the apartment to return the phone to its owner, whom I then found out had died over a year ago. You’ve heard this story already. Does anything sound questionable to you yet?”

“Okay, so perhaps someone was finally curious enough to pick up a stranger’s phone from the subway.”

“... But anyone would do that! No matter the intention, someone would either rob it or help find its owner and within hours of the phone being left there. Isn’t it kinda weird to you, that Rika’s phone, a dead girl’s phone had randomly appeared in the subway one evening?”

“Well, maybe that was part of Unknown’s plan.”

“But wasn’t the phone supposed to be with V?”

Jumin’s brows rose suddenly. He paused for a moment, as everything Chaeyoung had said finally landed on him. “... Yes.”

“So. Either V gave the phone to Rika, or someone-- which also implies he knew about the plan-- or…”

“Rika never died, so V never had the phone.”

Chaeyoung smirked. “Now you see where I come from…”

Jumin’s brows crossed. He was fidgeting with his glass, swirling the liquid around. “That’s still not clear evidence that Rika was-- is-- alive. She could’ve still planned this ahead of time. Also, what is your basis for this idea? What makes you think Rika would do something like this?”

Chaeyoung stared at him, puzzled. “I honestly haven’t the faintest idea, Jumin. I don’t know the woman. I only know what all of you have told me of her, which… is very good, but… I don’t know, the entire ‘lost phone secret apartment mysterious death’ thing just looks very off to me. I don’t believe this woman was just a charity worker. Remember V saying she had ‘a world of her own’?”

“... Yes, but please refrain from making assumptions about Rika, it is not good to be suspicious, especially of people you didn’t know personally.”

“... which is exactly why I’m suspicious, Jumin. I’m surrounded by traces of this woman who I’ve never met, but who I can tell had plenty of secrets, and most must not be good.”

Jumin leaned back, pondering what she’d said last. “So, you’re suggesting that… Unknown is actually Rika.”

Chaeyoung shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe, that’s a possibility… but the bottom line here is that whatever V has gotten himself into, plus the whole hacker thing, involves her in some way.”

Jumin gave a small nod. “Alright… and you said you’d help me… find V.”

Chaeyoung paused for a moment, taking a sip of wine. “Yes. I know the organization isn’t the same without him, and I want us all to be okay. I may have not known you for long, but I really, really care about you guys.” Her voice softened as she went on, feeling a sudden surge of love for the people she’d come to call family in such a short time. 

Jumin nodded. “Alright, I’ll accept your help.”

Chaeyoung couldn’t help but smile. “I’m glad.”

Jumin continued. “You will help me figure out the situation with V. I will get Seven to help, too, since he has all the information on the hacker. We will launch an investigation, and then, when we have valuable results, we will conduct a search.”

“Alright,” Chaeyoung said, wine glass in hand. She swirled the liquid around, before taking one last sip. “We have an agreement, then.”


	2. Partnership

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaeyoung and Jaehee meet to discuss business plans. Seven gets to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lesbians come get yalls juice 
> 
> this took a while in but i realized this is gonna be an absolute Monster of a fic so I have to like.. plan everything in advance lmao

THE RIDE BACK TO Rika’s apartment was long, which gave Chaeyoung time to think.  
About what she had just done, what she had yet to do. About all that had happened and all that was going to happen, about these eleven days that changed her life both for better and for worse. When she first stumbled upon the phone that led her to Rika’s apartment, Chaeyoung had decided to stay out of deep curiosity and maybe even fear. She knew she’d gotten herself into something she shouldn’t have, but that was exactly what thrilled her. There was an enigmatic quality to it all; the secrecy of the organization, the hidden documents… she’d stayed because she wanted to find out what was going on. She wanted to uncover all of the RFA’s secrets, beyond that of their mysterious founder. 

The members were an open book. It was easy for Chaeyoung to talk to them and befriend them, plus they were all pretty excited at the prospect of her joining their organization. Talking to them felt organic, comfortable, in just a couple of days she’d felt like she’d known them for months. All of the boys made an effort to make her feel like she was one of them, unraveling themselves to her. Even Jumin, the seemingly cold-hearted businessman, managed to show Chaeyoung his friendlier, looser side. He proved to be just as interesting and charming as the other members (she’d later learn that he had a knack for overexploiting his employees and was rather apathetic when it came to other people’s feelings, to Chaeyoung’s distaste).

There was one member, though, who kept to herself: Kang Jaehee. She had been reserved, albeit honest, from the very start, keeping Chaeyoung on a distance out of distrust. Chaeyoung didn’t blame her for her caution, though, and admired the help she provided on her coordinator duties. She seemed to be the backbone of the group, always offering the most realistic view of any situation. Yet, Chaeyoung had no idea who she was beyond this. While the others cracked their shells open to let her in, she’d had to crack Jaehee’s herself. And when she did… she’d found a gold mine of a person, someone tender and fierce and talented, who wanted to make Chaeyoung feel appreciated. She was also lonely, Chaeyoung recognized that well enough. Stuck in an environment that sucked the life out of her, feeling like she was replaceable, nameless. Chaeyoung found herself wanting to see Jaehee feeling loved and happy, knowing she was worth so much more. So she’d stayed by her side, whispering sweet affirmations, little “Cheer up, Jaehee!”s to keep her going. And when she saw her at the party, she knew Jaehee had become who she was supposed to be, kind and passionate and beautiful. 

Then, there was V. 

V hadn’t felt like a member most times, but rather a presence in the chatrooms, coming sporadically and saying little. Chaeyoung didn’t even know what the man looked like in person, nor his real name. She only knew his alias… and that he’d been Rika’s lover. He was the true enigma of the RFA, wearing melancholy like a veil, looking over the organization like a protective spirit. Chaeyoung respected his decisions, not thinking much of him at first, but knowing that, just with Jaehee, something lied beyond his mysterious facade. As the days went on, Chaeyoung grew more curious as to what that was. And when she found out V had vanished, her curiosity turned to urgency. As much as she believed V was a good person, his secrecy was deeply unsettling. Now, he might just have unconsciously lured the RFA into the wolf’s den. 

Chaeyoung sighed, leaning her head over the taxi window. It had been eleven days, and she wanted no more mysteries, no more secrets, she wanted peace. For herself, for Jaehee, for the RFA. 

“So, how was it? You’re still unemployed?” 

Chaeyoung groaned, rolling her eyes at the man at the other end of the line. As soon as she’d entered the apartment, she’d plopped right on her bed and called Seven. He must’ve known she was there, because he picked up right away, which was… a bit unsettling. 

“What happened to ‘Min Chaeyoung, most booked and wanted lady at the RFA party’,” he mocked, to which she opened her mouth to protest before realizing she didn’t have a comeback.

“For starters, I’m not unemployed. I’m self-employed, you absolute dimwit,” she said, holding up a finger. He would probably laugh at the sight of her scolding him. 

“Yeah, yeah…” he dismissed. “So this means the plan’s still on? You’re taking Jaehee’s offer?”

Chaeyoung couldn’t help snorting. “You seriously thought I was going to work for Han Jumin? Really?” The idea was more ridiculous by the minute. 

“With how much you cried to me the other day, yeah, for a quick second I thought you would.”

Chaeyoung shook her head, remembering the phone call she’d had with Seven just yesterday. It had been two days after the party, two days in which she hadn’t been able to sleep or eat properly, not without her stomach knotting whenever she thought of the RFA, which was quite often these days. The party had gone well enough, in the very short time she’d been given she’d managed to invite twelve organizations. It wasn’t an impressive number to her, but it was to the other members, considering she’d done all this in eleven days. They’d all showered her with compliments and been as kind as they were in the chatrooms. For the first thirty minutes or so, Chaeyoung had enjoyed herself tremendously, laughing with the members and mingling with interesting guests. And then Han Jumin showed up, and immediately dragged her to a corner of the room. 

He’d offered her the chief assistant position. Chaeyoung was… a bit shocked at this, though she’d seen it coming. And, as ridiculous as the idea sounded (what qualities has she shown him that deemed her a capable assistant?), part of her wanted to accept, for his sake. He needed her help with an issue. She could tell he was deeply troubled. She thought she could be what he needed. Plus, the offer was a gesture of trust-- Jumin trusted Chaeyoung, reached out for her hand specifically. It meant the world to her, at that moment, a newcomer in a strange organization where sometimes she felt like she was walking on blades with six piercing stares at her back. But he was a hearth, whispering “it’s okay, I got you. You’re safe with me.” 

That’s when Jaehee came, rushed and anxious, eyes widening when she realized what Jumin was talking with Chaeyoung. She had wanted to crawl inside a hole at that moment as her dear friend’s shoulders sank and Jumin's eyes narrowed into swords. Chaeyoung wanted to say something, Jumin had no right to push Jaehee down anymore. But to her delight, Jaehee stood up to him. She wasn’t going to let him have this. Chaeyoung really didn’t want to have this discussion though, not in the middle of her first-ever charity party. They were both too stubborn to quit, clenched jaws and fiery eyes, so Chaeyoung just bit her lip and hoped this didn’t turn into a full-on war. 

It did, though. When Jaehee asked Chaeyoung to be her business partner, she went still, a rush of excitement quickening her heartbeat. It sounded like a dream… but Jumin was there, listing every single reason why Jaehee’s new plan was impractical and stupid, and she countered by listing every single way being Jumin’s assistant sucked. They were high school mean girls fighting for the prom queen crown, and Chaeyoung found herself feeling both special and embarrassed. It got to the point where they weren’t fighting for her favor but simply saying the things they’d been wanting to spit out at each other for the longest time. When they were done, they turned to Chaeyoung, both of them holding out a hand, asking her to choose. 

She had snapped. She backed away, asking them to stop, that this was too much right now, to talk later, not now, she needed to think about it… she didn’t remember well, honestly. She just remembered Jaehee’s pained face turning away, and Jumin’s “I hope you make the right decision.” Chaeyoung just ordered another glass of wine. 

The rest of the party went alright enough, at least the guests were content. But Jaehee and Jumin had kept to themselves, avoiding the RFA and Chaeyoung. The others caught on quickly, but neither of the three would say a word on what had happened. The chatroom was just as hostile. Conversations were short, the members knew something had gone down at the party, and the organization was divided. It didn’t take long for Chaeyoung to sink into her anxiety, believing she had broken the RFA once again for not being able to make a damn choice. She had called Seven then, spilling it all out to him, and he, after throwing around some girlfriend jokes (what did he have with Chaeyoung “dating” Jaehee? It was starting to get annoying), had helped her come up with a plan: reject the position but help Jumin, and accept the proposal and “live happily ever after” with Jaehee. She accepted in a heartbeat. 

And here they were, Chaeyoung telling him the details of the first meeting of the plan. The second would happen tomorrow at around 10 a. m., in a coffee shop Jaehee had been wanting to try. She was rather excited about that one. 

The little flips her stomach was doing seemed to solidify her choice. She chuckled at Seven. “I guess I have ‘gotten a grip’, as you said.”

“Excellent,” he said in a tone that reminded Chaeyoung of his “ya-hoo!” emoji. “So, date with Jaehee tomorrow…” 

She sighed. Here we go again. “I mean, you could call it that… though we’ll mostly be discussing business plans, I suppose,” Chaeyoung said. Though she’d much prefer to do more fun stuff with Jaehee, the idea of spending a few hours talking possibilities and coffee recipes was still exciting, if only to see the other woman’s eyes light up as Chaeyoung listened to those information dumps she somehow always found interesting. Something about Jaehee’s passion stirred her. It was contagious, joyous, like a blanket made of all things good. 

“That’s still progress, we love to see it!” Seven said, “You’re making dreams come true, imagine that.”

Chaeyoung found herself smiling. Seven continued, “And you can thank me, God seven zero seven, Defender of Justice, for appointing Genie Chaeyoung, Granter of Wishes, to bring magic back into Lady Kang Jaehee’s dull life. I accept offerings of Dr. Pepper and Honey Buddha Chips under the full moon, at 3:53 a.m. precisely.”

This made Chaeyoung laugh. She raised her brows, saying a loud “Bet”.

It was Seven’s turn to laugh. “Good luck tomorrow!” he said, “Oh, and… I’ll get on to creating that server. The RFA’s detectives have a mission now…”

Chaeyoung’s smile faltered as she remembered V. She frowned. “You’re sure you’re alright with that? I mean, a whole new messenger...”

“Don’t worry about it,” he dismissed, “It’s literally the same exact code as the messenger but with funkier security. I’ll have it done in no time.” His fingers snapped in the “no”.

Chaeyoung nodded. She could trust Seven, for sure. “Alright, that’s good,” she said. “Thank you so much for this, have a good night.”

“Sweet dreams,” he said, playful, before hanging up. Chaeyoung let out a breath and dropped the phone to her chest, fingers drumming lightly on it as her eyes scanned the small apartment’s surroundings. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day… 

CHAEYOUNG AWOKE WITH THE SAME knot in her stomach she had before the party. Her sleep hadn’t been all that peaceful, her mind hadn’t stopped going on tangents about Jaehee and her proposal and the sheer amount of possibility… the idea of working with this woman filled Chaeyoung with joy. She realized, as she brewed her mandatory morning coffee, that this was the second time (in less than a week) that she’d been nervous over meeting Jaehee. Interesting. 

She decided to check the messenger as she had her breakfast. The chat had been active at night, it seemed. Zen ranted about some argument with his play director to Yoosung, who had just lost a round of LOLOL. There were lots of angry emojis from both of them. Even more from Zen when Jumin came in claiming he couldn’t sleep and sending a picture of Elizabeth the Third. There wasn’t anything after that, so Chaeyoung decided to check her private messages. There were some from Jaehee confirming today’s cafe meeting. She smiled, biting her lip at her “I ‘m excited for tomorrow… I wanted to see you again despite the incident at the party. I find it hard not to miss you.” She might just be one of the sweetest people Chaeyoung had ever met. Going back to her messages, her eyes jumped when she saw what Seven had sent her. 

707: Already done!!

707: Link

707: Just open this link and it’ll take u to the server hehe. 

Chaeyoung swallowed her coffee if only not to spit it out as she typed “Already??” She had only told him about this yesterday night, after all. He replied after a few seconds.

707: I told u I worked fast ;)

707: Now join soon so we can assemble the team.

Chaeyoung: On it. 

Tentatively, she clicked the link while taking a sip. It took her to a screen that was identical to the messenger’s home screen, but with no email feature or guest info, and the only member profiles were Jumin’s, Seven’s, and her own. The RFA logo also had a little ‘UNDERCOVER’ under it, which made Chaeyoung snort. 

She tapped the ‘CHATROOM’ bubble at the center of the screen. Again, the layout was identical to the original app’s. She saw there was one chat open with only Seven on it, and decided to venture in. 

707: ur here!!!

707: Welcome to da club

707: :happyemoji:

Chaeyoung: hey seven!! thanks

Chaeyoung: so this is like… a secret rfa chatroom??

707: exactly!!

707: it’s a secret server lol

707: only accessible thru the link

707: think of it as like… a door to Narnia

Chaeyoung: ohh that’s cool.

She finished her coffee, pondering for a bit if she should start getting ready or stay in the chat… it was important. 

Han Jumin has entered the chatroom.

Han Jumin: Hello.

707: ohhhh the Han Man!! Welcome.

Han Jumin: What kind of nickname is that?

Chaeyoung: lmfaooo

707: lolololol

Chaeyoung: Hey Jumin.

Han Jumin: Good morning, Chaeyoung.

Han Jumin: Luciel, what is this chatroom for.

707: omg so dry…

707: ur nor even gonna say hi to me?? so mean.

Han Jumin: I said hello to everyone when I entered. I don’t get why I’d need to repeat myself.

707: But you said hi to Chaeyoung!

Han Jumin: That’s because she said hi to me too. 

Chaeyoung sighed. She didn’t have enough time for their dumb banter. 

Chaeyoung: Guys I’m kinda tight on time…

707: oh right!! u have your date today

Han Jumin: You’re going on a date?

Chaeyoung: It’s not a date… it's more like a business meeting.

Han Jumin: … oh.

707: same thing.

Uh oh, Chaeyoung thought, he’s not gonna like this. 

707: anyways….

707: we are now on mission: “Rescue V!”

707: this is our lil secret chatroom where we’ll discuss all our secret plans.

Han Jumin: I thought it’d be better if we did it in person? Considering security and everything.

707: … well I figured that’d be hard since we’re all so busy all the time

707: You have your CEO things and I have my super secret missions

707: So it’s easier to do most of it over here!!

Chaeyoung: Fair enough.

Chaeyoung: But… we don’t have to worry about security right?

707: Absolutely not!!!!!!

707: I made sure this secret server is 98% more secure than the regular messenger!!

Chaeyoung: … alright then.

707: omg

707: Chaeyoung

707: Do you….

707: not trust me????

707: :cryingemoji:

707: I’m heartbroken.

707: :cryingemoji:

Han Jumin: After what happened last week, I understand why she won’t trust your security. 

Chaeyoung snorted. He wasn’t entirely wrong, she’d found it hard to trust Seven’s security from the beginning, considering the way she entered the organization. 

Chaeyoung: Thank you, Jumin.

707: … okay, u have a point.

707: but I swear!!! no security fails in here.

Chaeyoung: Haha okay.

Han Jumin: But why do we need an entire separate chatroom for this?

707: Well that’s because…

Chaeyoung: Privacy?

707: Chaeyoung gets it.

707: yeah privacy and also

707: secrecy.

707: we don’t want the hackers knowing we’re spying on them…

Han Jumin: That’s reasonable. 

His words put an uneasy feeling on Chaeyoung’s stomach. She frowned, not understanding why, until the missing details clicked. 

Chaeyoung: Why didn’t you just tighten the rfa messenger’s security then

Chaeyoung: What’s the need for a whole other messenger only for tighter security?

Han Jumin: … I was wondering exactly that.

707: that’s

707: because…

707: I kinda wanna keep this mission a secret… from the rest of the members. 

Chaeyoung’s toes curled. She knew the other members would hate that… the organization had a bad history with keeping secrets, and this week sent all that tension into overdrive. They wouldn’t like that three of the members were doing secret stuff. 

Chaeyoung: …

Han Jumin: That’s understandable. I doubt the other members would be of much help, and we can’t be distracted.

Chaeyoung: If I had a shocked emoji, I would send it right now…

707: Yeah basically.

707: Also Chaeyoung if u want emojis u can just like… make them and I’ll add them here lol.

Chaeyoung: ...Okay yeah but

Chaeyoung: Wouldn’t Jaehee be of help? She seems to be really good at this kind of stuff.

Han Jumin: …

Han Jumin: You’re not entirely wrong, I’ll admit.

Chaeyoung: And she’s a good planner.

Han Jumin: Still…

707: Lolol I don’t think Jumin wants to deal with Jaehee rn.

Han Jumin: You’re right.

Chaeyoung: Oh ok I get it…

Chaeyoung: What about the others though?

Chaeyoung: Shouldn’t we at least let them in on the plan?

707: I just thought it’d be better to just…. not involve the others in this?

Chaeyoung: But they’ll get really mad.

Chaeyoung: I mean, think about how worked up Yoosung got over V keeping secrets…

707: I just didn’t want to put more people in danger.

707: plz don’t hate me

707: :cryingemoji:

Han Jumin: We will let the others know about this once we have a set plan. We don’t want to create unnecessary worry.

Han Jumin: … And it will be a while till then. First, we need to find as much information on Mint Eye as possible.

Han Jumin: Then we form a plan, and inform the others about what we’re gonna do. 

Chaeyoung was biting her lip, fingers hovering over her screen, hesitating. She wasn’t a fan of the idea of secrecy in the slightest, but it’s not like her objection would mean much when both Seven and Jumin were on board with it. She guessed she was fine with it if the others found out eventually…. and she lamented not having Jaehee there. She would be useful. But she guessed putting Jumin and her to work together was perhaps the worst idea right now. Chaeyoung glanced at the time. It was 9:20. She had to meet Jaehee at 10.

“Shit,” she whispered as she hurriedly typed a goodbye.

Chaeyoung: Guys I’m really sorry but I’m running super late right now… I’ll see you around!!

707: Bye Chaeyoung!! Have fun in ur date ;)

Chaeyoung: -_-

Jumin: Goodbye.

Chaeyoung: Bye Jumin!

With that, she signed off and rushed to the bedroom to pick out clothes. She took longer than she thought, trying on different outfits to find the one that felt right. Why was she so worried about how she dressed? She was only like this when she’d wanted to make an impression on someone, and she’d already made an impression on Jaehee at the party. But now she was about to seal a deal with her. She had to look put together. Eventually, she settled for a white turtleneck undershirt and a moss green dress. 

She took her time getting ready, deciding to put her wavy red hair into a ponytail, using hairspray to smooth the many flyaways. She groomed her eyebrows and applied a good amount of blush and lipgloss, breathing life into her face. She accessorized with almost all the gold jewelry she had. It reminded her of Jaehee, in a way. When she was done, she found herself smiling at her reflection in the mirror, and wondered with a chuckle if this was what Zen felt like every morning. She felt beautiful. Part of her hoped that Jaehee found her beautiful, too. 

BITING ON THE RING ON HER FINGER probably wasn’t the most hygienic thing, Jaehee figured. That ring had been rotting with the rest of her things for months, and only today had she decided to use it if only to make herself look less plain. She was meeting Chaeyoung, for Christ’s sake. But what else could she do, when her nerves got larger every second the other girl didn’t arrive? She’d told Jaehee something had come up so she’d be ten minutes late… but what if there was something more? What if she’d regretted her decision, and decided to bail on her? _No_ , Jaehee thought, _she would not do that, she would’ve told me_. Chaeyoung was one to keep her promises, or so Jaehee liked to believe. It was hard to tell when she’d only known her for two weeks. She glanced at her phone to check the time, it was 10:22. _Calm down, it’s only been seven minutes_. She tried, lacing her fingers together and relaxing her shoulders. It didn’t work. The grumble in her stomach made it worse. But it was fine, she’d wait. She could start panicking at 10:30, there was no sense in getting worried yet.

“Hey… oh my god, I’m so sorry I’m late, I had an errand to run,” she hears behind her. She turned to see a flustered and apologetic Min Chaeyoung, and Jaehee’s breath hitched. She was just as mesmerizing as she'd been the other two times they'd met before, red hair pulled back and face glowing from within. A small smile made its way to her lips. 

“Hello, Chaeyoung,” she said, “You came.”

The other girl laughed, and Jaehee couldn’t help but think how the sound reminded her of a bird’s song. “Of course I’d come… how would I cancel plans that I made myself?” she said as she sat across from her.

“Fair enough,” Jaehee shrugged. “So… how have you been these past few days?” She rested her chin on her hand.

Chaeyoung leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “They’ve been pretty…” she sighed. 

“Stressful?” Jaehee finished without thinking. 

Chaeyoung laughed. “Yeah… you know, I’ve never had to choose between job offers before.”

Jaehee tensed at that, knitting her hands under the table, as she remembered the reason for today’s meeting. “About that…” she said. Then, turning her eyes up, “Have you made your choice?” She was shocked at the stability of her voice.

Chaeyoungs back straightened, and she nodded. “Yes,” she said, swallowing. “Yesterday I went to Jumin’s, actually.”

 _Oh._ Jaehee felt her stomach fall to the floor. So, she chose his offer… well, that hurt, only a little bit. No, not a little bit. It felt like a stab to the heart. To accept the position she had helped Jaehee out of after seeing how dehumanizing it was, after standing up to her (now ex) boss, calling him out on his behavior on her behalf… the decision made no sense. She wanted to ask Chaeyoung why. Why did she do it? Why is she doing this to herself, to her? Though, she figured, it was Chaeyoung’s decision to make and no one else’s… it would not be proper of her to prod too much. She should let her be, as much as it hurt. 

Chaeyoung then snorted, taking her out of her trance. She frowned at her companion, confused. What exactly was funny about this situation? She blinked a couple of times, trying to prevent her anger from rising, before Chaeyoung said, “Don’t worry, I did not take his offer if that’s what you think.”

“Oh…” She felt her heart start beating quickly. Yes. Yes, she had never said anything. Jaehee had just… assumed everything. Well, that was pretty foolish of her. “Oh, yes, right, oh my god… you had me scared for a second. Oh wow…”

Chaeyoung kept laughing, and now Jaehee was beginning to laugh too if only to shake away the awkwardness of the situation. “Did you really think I was gonna do it… I mean, you’re my best friend, not him.”

Jaehee shook her head, letting out a breath. “Yes… I suppose you’re right.”

“I did tell him, though, that I wanted to help him find a new assistant, you know…” she said, “so as not to sound mean, like ‘no, I won’t work for you, screw you’... I didn’t want him to completely hate me for it, which, I kind of felt like he would, but I still want to be friends with him.”

Jaehee nodded along to her explanation. She was struck, more than anything, by how kind this woman was. She was being compassionate to him despite everything, and if Jumin needed anything, it was compassion. She thought, for a second, about reaching out to him to try and make up. Despite all that had happened-- two years of keeping up with all of his bullshit and her rather dramatic exit (that embarrassed her the more she thought about it)-- she still deeply respected the man and wanted to be in at least okay terms with him. 

“I…” she began, trying to put her thoughts into words, “want to propose something like that to him, too.” She pauses, looking up to meet Chaeyoung’s focused stare, “I don’t want our relationship to be strained forever… it will not be good for the RFA in the long run.”

Chaeyoung hummed. “I get it, and I think you should, one hundred percent, just…” she pursed her lips. “Not right now,” she elongated every word she spoke. “He’s kind of… not in the mood to even think about you… right now.”

Jaehee nodded, even if her gut clenched a little. “Yes, I understand… guess I’ll have to be patient.”

Chaeyoung nodded. “He’ll come around, I’m sure of it,” she said, with a reassuring smile. Jaehee wasn’t so sure of it herself, but Chaeyoung said it in a way that made her want to have faith. 

A waitress then came over to them, asking for their order. Both women looked over to the counter, spotting the cheesecake they’d come here to try in the first place (“it’s out of this world,” Jaehee had said in one of her many calls). They order along with iced lattes. 

Once they were gone, Chaeyoung turned to Jaehee, green eyes lit up. “So,” she began, clasping her hands together. “Let’s discuss what we came here to talk about…”

Jaehee grinned, Chaeyoung’s excitement getting to her. She also found her attempts at being businesslike almost cute. It was certainly something on Chaeyoung, who was all smiles and honey and chocolate mousse. Quickly, she came back into focus. “Yes, right, My proposal.” She paused, lacing her fingers on the table. They were back at this… “You’ve made a decision, I assume?” She bit her lip, regretting her stern tone. 

Chaeyoung did not mind and instead squared her back, matching her energy to Jaehee’s. “Yes.” Jaehee’s eyes widened, and she felt her heart pounding in her chest. “I asked you to meet so that I could tell you that…” The pause was killing her. Chaeyoung met her eyes, brows focused. “I accept your proposal. I’ll be your business partner.”

Jaehee felt her body be infected with a joy that felt like both relief and euphoria. She wanted to scream in victory, to dance until she lost herself to the music, to hug the woman in front of her tightly and never let go. She wanted to sing like a character in a musical in a first act finale, to belt her heart out. But instead, she simply grinned, careful not to react too strongly, and took a breath before saying, “Thank you so much, Chaeyoung.” She was sure her voice had trembled. “I’m so happy you accepted.”

Chaeyoung’s face broke into an ear-splitting grin reminiscent of sunlight. Jaehee’s heart nearly stopped. “I’m happy you believed in me enough to make the offer, It is an honor, truly.” Jaehee felt her cheeks heating up, and she took deep breaths to suppress her blush, hoping Chaeyoung wouldn’t notice. Her efforts were thrown to the garbage bin when Chaeyoung took both of her hand in hers, and she felt her body nearly melt. Her eyes locked with hers, sunlight revealing specs of brown in her jade irises, like chocolate on matcha. “I know you’ll open an amazing café.”

“ _We’ll_ open an amazing café,” Jaehee stressed. “It’s going to be our place of our own.” She smiled softly. 

“Yes…” Chaeyoung said, before squeezing her hand. 

That’s when Jaehee remembered, and abruptly let go of Chaeyoung’s hands. “Oh! I almost forgot…” She fumbled through her purse, leaving Chaeyoung confused, leaning forward to try to figure out what was so important.

“What is it…” Jaehee heard her ask, as her hands finally felt the soft velvet pouch. 

“This,” she started, opening the pouch to take its contents, “is a key to the place I leased for the café.” In her left hand, she held up a small bronze key. 

“Already?” Chaeyoung said. Jaehee grinned, nodding. Chaeyoung’s eyes widened, and she held out her hand. In a rush of strange bravery, Jaehee cupped her outstretched hand with one of hers, and deposited the key in, before closing her fingers around it, and covering her fist with her right hand. Chaeyoung’s breath hitched, and she blinked slowly, wide eyes full of warmth, and Jaehee’s grin widened. They stayed like that for a while, Jaehee’s heartbeat drumming once again. Chaeyoung was the one to pull away this time, leaving her chest tingling. 

Their orders came, and Jaehee sighed at the pleasant taste of cold brew. It was rather light, but the flavor was bitter in a soft way. Her brows furrowed, and she wondered aloud about the roast process to achieve such a flavor. Chaeyoung smiled, sipping the ice-cold drink like she was chugging water. She bit into her straw, sighing. Her eyes roamed around the place, the evidence of a mind at work, and Jaehee was curious as to what she was thinking. She desired to eventually get to know every part of Chaeyoung’s mind; her ideas and dreams, her fears and memories. And she wanted Chaeyoung to know her in the same way, though it kind of felt like she already did. Warmth bloomed in Jaehee’s stomach, reassuring her that, eventually, they would grow into one another, over hundreds of moments just like this one… silently sipping coffee in the comfort of each other’s presence, with Chaeyoung’s soft hair falling over her shoulders, light twinkling over her glossy lips. _She is quite beautiful_ … Jaehee thought to herself, licking her lips before taking another sip of coffee, more warmth bleeding into her body.

Chaeyoung then loudly put down her glass, getting Jaehee’s attention. She stopped fidgeting with her bracelet to look at her partner, who was grinning with her fork held up. “Shall we try?” she asked, pointing to the very elegant-looking cheesecake. It had a red stripe in its middle and a dollop of cream at the top with a cherry. Jaehee smiled, grabbing her own fork.

“Let’s see how otherworldly it truly is…” she said, taking a generous portion of it into her mouth. Her brows furrowed in concentration, as she turned the cheesecake around in her tongue. “That red stuff is definitely a mousse,” she swallowed. “I believe it’s a cherry mousse, if there’s such a thing.”

Chaeyoung nodded, and took a cheesecake-only bite. “This tastes like.. acidic, almost.” Then, she startled, looking wide-eyed at Jaehee, who froze mid-bite. “Lemon,” she said. “It has… a generous amount of lemon.”

Jaehee crossed her brows, thinking, trying to decompose the different flavors in her mouth… Yes. There was definitely lemon in there. “Hmm. But wait,” she swallowed, tasting the dregs of the cheesecake bite. “There’s something else in there. Something almost… nut-like. But also not really? I can’t really tell…” She looked to Chaeyoung, who shrugged.

“Maybe we should ask the waitress?” Jaehee nodded. Chaeyoung spotted their waitress and asked them about the cheesecake. Jaehee was amazed, almost, at her talent for communicating so easily. No wonder she’d been so good at planning the party.

“Oh, it’s a flavor enhancer,” the waitress explained. 

Jaehee’s brows raised, and she made an ooh sound. Chaeyoung thanked the waitress while Jaehee ate the last bits of her cheesecake, her brain seeing how all the different flavor pieces blended together. “Flavor enhancers…” she thought out loud. “I’ll look into them more.”

“They really do add a lot to the flavor,” Chaeyoung agreed, sipping the last bits of her coffee. 

The rest of their time was spent like this, making idle conversation about the boys and the party, and making plans for their café plans. They would go visit as many cafés in Seoul as they could, studying menus and business tactics. They’d go to a barista course together, and try out recipes together. They’d make Pinit boards, and discuss what each other liked, combining their tastes to create something uniquely theirs. Each idea filled Jaehee with excitement, and when it was time to say goodbye, and Chaeyoung wrapped her into the warmest hug (she smelled like jasmine, Jaehee wanted to be smelling that forever), she didn’t feel the sadness from her departure like she’d had at the party. Instead, when the cold autumn breeze hit her face, she felt hope coming with it. Possibility. She was going to build a beautiful life for herself, with her favorite person in the world as her companion. 

…Yes, she really did like this change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tysm for reading this chapter and if u have any suggestions then pls comment!! and if you wanna talk more about the fic or literally whatever, my tumblr is https://kangjaehee.tumblr.com (I made a mysme blog hell yea)
> 
> (edited on 23/09 to check some formatting issues.)


	3. Motions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: Discussions of suicide
> 
> hope yall enjoy chatroom action :) with feelings :))

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey!! I just want to say that idk when I'll update this next, I'm gonna try to write a bunch of chapters so that I can have them all written and post them more frequently. but just in case that doesn't happen (bc i Am One for instant validation), you can expect this to update every two weeks or so... yes I Am writing this on college app season to procrastinate :))))

THE AFTERNOON WAS SLOW. Wine-red sunlight spilled through the large windows as Chaeyoung sat on the couch, absentmindedly doodling with jazz playing on the speakers. She found herself relaxing for the first time in weeks, hands drawing from muscle memory and mind lost to the soft beats. Amid the hacker panic and the party planning, she hadn’t found any time to draw, and her ever-growing commission list wasn’t reassuring in the slightest. But now that everything was okay— that she’s closed all her open threads and could focus on what lay ahead— she figured she could get back into it, and creating emojis for herself was the perfect way to do so. God, had she missed this… maybe she could find a balance, a way to fit the whirlwind that was RFA into her life. She was definitely going to try. 

Thinking about the eccentric charity group made her wonder how they were doing. She’d seen Jaehee earlier today and chatted with Jumin and Seven, but she hadn’t spoken to Zen or Yoosung in a while. She decided to pick up her phone and maybe open a chatroom, but then she saw one had already been opened in the RFAU server. Holding her breath, she entered. This must be important.

Chaeyoung has entered the chatroom. 

Chaeyoung: hey guys

As soon as she sends her greeting, she chuckles. Seven had quite literally “summoned” her with an “Accio Chaeyoung,” which was just a bit creepy… and embarrassing. It would be the third time he’s done this in a week. 

Chaeyoung: —omg you had me again.  
707: lololol  
Han Jumin: Impressive.  
Chaeyoung: ^^  
Chaeyoung: you know, I really am starting to believe you're a wizard.  
707: well……  
707: maybe i AM  
707: that’s a secret I’ll never tell…  
707: xoxo 707  
Chaeyoung: -_-  
Han Jumin: What is ‘xoxo’?  
Chaeyoung: It’s like…  
707: look it up hag  
Han Jumin: Excuse me?

 _Well_ , that was unexpected, she thought as she rolled forward laughing.

Chaeyoung: LMAOOO  
Chaeyoung: SEVEN I'm  
707: it’s not like I'm wrong…  
Chaeyoung: Nooo lolol  
Han Jumin: ...Whatever.  
Han Jumin: This conversation is stupid.  
Han Jumin: Luciel, you said we were discussing strategy?  
707: Oh yes!!!  
707: Ok so here’s the deal dream team:  
707: we need to start looking for clues that will eventually lead us  
707: to where V is!

Chaeyoung frowned. She was sure she’d already spoken about this with Jumin… had he not told Seven?

Han Jumin: Indeed.  
Han Jumin: I believe we’ve already decided to focus on Mint Eye?  
Chaeyoung: Yeah.  
Han Jumin: It’s the biggest possibility of his location, considering recent events.  
Chaeyoung: Yeah, they’ve been messing with us consistently.  
707: you’re right.  
707: I wouldn’t be shocked if it turned out he was at mint eye tbh…  
Chaeyoung: Yeah it’s like the only possibility.  
707: because…..   
707: we've been there before and all.  
707: and I got the impression he knew them  
Chaeyoung: Oh yes... I remember.  
Han Jumin: He's likely there.  
Chaeyoung: But... Hold on.  
Chaeyoung: Did he know them personally?  
707: Idk I got that impression...  
707: with how easily he dealt with these people and all.  
Chaeyoung: Huh. Interesting.   
707: Yeah... it raised a few alarms.   


Chaeyoung licked her lips as the messages rolled in, the picture forming in her head, getting clearer layer by layer.

Han Jumin: We can't be sure if he actually knew them personally  
Han Jumin: ...Or knew of them.  
Chaeyoung: Yeah that could be it.  
707: I think he Knew Them.  
707: because when we went there… he told me to stay outside while he talked things out  
707: which makes me think that he’d already dealt with these people before.

There it was. Clear as water. 

Chaeyoung: Omg…  
Han Jumin: Hold on.  
Han Jumin: Why would he deal with them alone?  
Chaeyoung: You said V does things like that?  
Han Jumin: When there’s a threat to the RFA he always, always asks Luciel for help.  
Chaeyoung: …  
Chaeyoung: Seven, did you know about Mint Eye before this?  
707: No…  
707: but I did find out V knew them  
707: because he was the one that explained to me they had been the hackers after Rika’s info because they didn’t get invited to the party.  
Han Jumin: … So Rika just dealt with them herself and dragged V along?  
707: yeah that’s what I think happened…

 _Oh, so that was it…_ thought Chaeyoung, _this was Rika’s drama?_ Her spine straightened as the pieces came together in her mind to form a vivid picture. Of course. Obviously. What else could it be if not this? If not her?

Chaeyoung: WAIT  
Han Jumin: What.  
Chaeyoung: HOLD ON  
Chaeyoung: THIS FITS.  
707: fits what?  
Chaeyoung: JUMIN  
Chaeyoung: Remember what I said about Mint Eye being connected to Rika somehow?  
Han Jumin: Yes.  
Chaeyoung: Well, Rika having dealt with Mint Eye before makes so much sense, because…  
Chaeyoung: then that might explain why V knows them, why they’re chasing us, and what their connection to Rika is.  
707: ...yeah that’s kind of what I figured.  
707: that your appearance, the documents at the apt, and the hacker attacks are all a revenge plan or something.  
Chaeyoung: I don’t know if revenge plan but…  
Chaeyoung: I don’t know. But I believe they want something from us, and V went there to clean up whatever mess that was left from when Rika tried to deal with them.  
Han Jumin: That is possible, but let’s say this Rika-Hacker fiasco happened two years ago.  
Why attack now?

There was also that. Chaeyoung hadn’t thought that far ahead.

Chaeyoung: I have no idea.  
707: ok this sounds GOOD  
707: and maybe…  
707: ok this may sound wild but maybe Rika’s suicide also comes into play in this…  
Han Jumin: Hm. It could be possible that the persecution got to such a level.  
707: damn, that's…  
Han Jumin: I know…

Chaeyoung leaned back, mulling over Seven’s words. That could be very possible if Mint Eye had persecuted her so much she’d seen no other exit, and that’s why V never revealed much about her parting. Though it’s not like she owed anyone a reason. 

Then again, why act now? As Jumin said, it was strange that Mint Eye was showing up again after a year and a half of not doing anything… Chaeyoung figured they’d maybe move on to tormenting another RFA member for whatever they wanted, but instead they’d been radio silent until they’d contacted her. Maybe she hadn’t died, but turned herself in? After all, V said he’d go to where Rika was…

She bit the top of her phone, thinking. They wouldn’t be happy to hear her “Rika Is Alive” theory again. But she had to say it. Holding her breath, she began to type.

Chaeyoung: Well um  
Chaeyoung: I don’t think she’s actually dead, but that’s a conversation for another time.  
707: wait what  
Chaeyoung: Anyways, yes. Maybe the RFA-Mint Eye connection runs deep and now it has hit its peak messy.  
707: yeah no that’s definitely not a conversation for another time Chaeyoung.  
707: what makes you think she isn’t dead?  
Chaeyoung: I’m just thinking now that with all these new info about connections  
Chaeyoung: that she might’ve gone to Mint Eye herself? And V just played it off as a death?  
Chaeyoung: I’m thinking too far ahead I’m sorry.  
707: nono  
707: u Could be right  
707: I mean think about it. The body was never found. It was super sudden.  
Han Jumin: I agree, you could be right, but suicides are usually sudden, and if she did drown then chances are her body would have never been found in the first place. So the details of her death are not unusual.  
Chaeyoung: But that would also explain how they know about the apartment, and why they would still be trying to get to the RFA.  
Chaeyoung: Maybe they were trying to take it down for good or something and it didn’t work and now they’re trying again.  
707: hmm… but how would you coming here fit in there?  
Chaeyoung: I don’t know I’m just saying…  
Chaeyoung: It would also explain why V went there. Maybe he went after Rika.  
Han Jumin: A year and a half after she “disappeared”?  
Chaeyoung: ...Well, yeah. Idk.  
Han Jumin: This… might be it.  
Han Jumin: There are still too many loose threads. It’s a direction, not a full hypothesis. And what is Mint Eye anyway?  
707: all I know is that they’re a religious organization located somewhere in the mountains and that they have some pretty impressive hackers so the stuff they do in there must be… dubious.  
Chaeyoung: Omg.  
Han Jumin: We need more information.  
707: and you’ll have it. sooner than a shooting star can pass.  
Han Jumin: Alright. I’m counting on you, Luciel.  
Chaeyoung: Me too. Good luck finding info, Seven!  
707: thx guys.  
707: alright I have to get back to work… see y’all later.  
Chaeyoung: Laterz.  
Han Jumin: Goodbye. 

707 has left the chatroom.  
Chaeyoung has left the chatroom.  
Han Jumin has left the chatroom.

She put her phone down, letting out a breath. Her stomach tightened as she looked around the apartment, now almost fully dark, with its cold leather couches and eyes on the walls, piercing as usual at night. Just how dangerous were the secrets hidden in here? How much peril was she in?

THE STREET WAS QUIET in the early night, leaves crunching under Jaehee’s feet as she made her way to the small yet picturesque building at the corner, the skeleton of what would one day be her café. Her and Chaeyoung’s café. She’d be there, right at Jahee’s side as they brought this project to life, as they made it into a place of their dreams, a place of their own. Jaehee’s heart swelled at the idea, she couldn’t imagine it being any other way. She felt like she could find peace with Chaeyoung next to her, because no matter how many times she tripped and fell, Chaeyoung would be there to catch her. She made her feel at ease. With a breath, Jaehee put the heavy key into the double doors and turned it. 

Dust danced as she walked in, making her adjust her face mask. The place was brand new, which saved her a lot of refurbishing work, yet the cement was freshly dry and brick dust coated every single space, from the windowsill table in the front to the long counter running to the back wall. She’d come to vacuum the place, make it a clean slate for Chaeyoung to see it in two days when they’d agreed to meet so Jaehee could show her the place, and then they’d go back to Jaehee’s place where she would finally introduce her to her musical collection. She smiled at the thought, remembering her promise from all those days ago when Chaeyoung asked what she liked to do in her free time. That had happened on her second day in the RFA, no more than two weeks ago, but it sure felt like months had passed. At the time she was still at C&R, suffocated by deadlines and increasingly ridiculous projects, always just a step from collapse. Now, she was finally breathing freely, and though she was just another woman with a dream, she was enjoying it. It all felt so, so different, even if everything still looked the same. 

Soon it wouldn’t, though. She’d build her life up again, and this time it would be truly hers. Her lips settled into a pleasant smile as she pressed play, and soothing music flooded the empty silence. She turned on the lights-- nothing but small light bulbs hanging from the ceiling which Jaehee thought on keeping, she liked the eclectic look-- and set to cleaning. She swept the place, ridding it of brick and wood chunks and other pesky things. Then, she used the vacuum she’d brought from her apartment (a gift from Jumin for her 25th birthday, his way of apologizing for Elizabeth's excessive shedding, and though it didn’t make the c-hair any less annoying, it was very good quality), getting into the smallest of spaces and watching the tan of brick dust disappear. One of her earbuds fell off when she was tackling a particularly dirty corner, and Jaehee’s heart almost stopped thinking she’d lost it, but it was right next to her foot. Close one. She continued until the place was almost shining, polishing the floors, the counter, and all of the windows. 

The sky was fully dark when she finished, and she sat on the counter, admiring her work. Now this was starting to look like a real coffee shop-- sure, it still needed tables, decorations, and coffeemaking machinery, but Jaehee could envision it all in her head. Her heart quickened its pace imagining the smell of espresso and freshly baked cake wafting in the air, the faint sounds of clinking cups and keyboards, and Chaeyoung right next to her, always. They’d have so many mornings of early baking sessions and recipe tasting, talks over cups of coffee on breaks and late afternoon business reviews, their bodies close as they filled in earnings sheets… it was all enough to make Jaehee’s stomach twirl. She was so incredibly happy to have Chaeyoung as her partner, her best friend. 

She reached for her phone, opening the RFA app on instinct, wanting to call Chaeyoung to tell her all this. A chatroom had opened, with Luciel, Yoosung, Zen, and Chaeyoung online. Curious, Jaehee entered. 

Kang Jaehee has entered the chatroom.

Yoosung: But you’re not even listening!!!!!  
707: awwww r u butthurt because I beat your ass in lolol again?

Oh, god. She’d come in the middle of something, and it was not good. 

Chaeyoung: Jaehee!! Hey!  
Yoosung: BY HACKING THE GAME!!!!  
ZEN: Hey Jaehee!  
Kang Jaehee: Hello to you two.  
707: I just used every tool at my disposal to win, what’s so wrong about that?  
Kang Jaehee: … Are you guys in the middle of something? Have I interrupted?  
Chaeyoung: Apparently Seven has repeatedly made Yoosung miserable on lolol, and he only found out now.  
ZEN: Yeah lololol  
Kang Jaehee: That sounds like something Luciel would do.  
Yoosung: Seven, you’re the worst.  
707: Aw cmon…. i know you love me!!  
Chaeyoung: Does he though…  
Kang Jaehee: I bet he doesn’t.  
Yoosung: No!!! Wtf.  
Chaeyoung: But Seven,  
Chaeyoung: ...Why did you do that?  
Yoosung: Yeah!!! Like what was the reason  
ZEN: Does he ever need a reason? Lol  
Kang Jaehee: Luciel seems to do things for the hell of it... I can’t understand how his mind works.  
707: oh, but now I had a reason….  
707: a very good one!!  
ZEN: Lmao what  
Kang Jaehee: And that is?  
Yoosung: What was it.  
707: The reason was………  
707: ………….  
Yoosung: Say it!!!  
707: Yolo. 

Jaehee couldn’t help but snort. He was insufferable, yet sometimes his humor hit. 

ZEN: -_-  
Yoosung: What do you mean “yolo”????  
Chaeyoung: He means he did it for the hell of it…  
707: It means “you only live once,” duh.  
Kang Jaehee: I don’t think I’ve heard anyone use that expression since 2012.  
ZEN: Same.  
Yoosung: …  
Yoosung: You’re impossible.  
Kang Jaehee: He is.  
Yoosung: I have no words…  
Chaeyoung: Yoosung, how does it feel to be Seven’s victim once again?  
707: I bet it feels awesome.  
Yoosung: Shut up.  
ZEN: Lmao Yoosung, you’re way too naive…  
Kang Jaehee: Maybe if he used his brain in situations like these he’d be less naive.  
Chaeyoung: Agreed.  
707: yeah I’m teaching you a lesson here.  
Yoosung: Yeah sure…  
Yoosung: I’m just gonna leave if you’re going to be a dick…  
Chaeyoung: Omg…

Oh, no. This was about to explode, and a Yoosung/Luciel confrontation wasn’t something Jaehee ever thought she’d see, nor did she want to. 

707: Wait no!!! don’t leave :(  
707: I’m sorry ok… I won’t drop any bombs in your league ever again.  
Yoosung: Okay then.  
ZEN: -_-  
Chaeyoung: Ok, good.  
Chaeyoung: Why don’t we change topics… let this petty argument go…  
Kang Jaehee: I think we should.  
Yoosung: But what do we talk about?? Anyone did anything interesting today?  
707: I grinded… a Lot.  
Yoosung: no 1 cares  
707: :cryingemoji:  
Chaeyoung: After this morning, no. Just doodled all day.

Jaehee smiled slightly, typing out a response about wanting to see Chaeyoung’s doodles. She found her art beautiful, her use of color and intricate line art reminded Jaehee of bubblegum and oil spills. If her art had a flavor, it would be lollipop. But then Zen spoke, and suddenly there was a more urgent matter.

ZEN: Oh!! Today rehearsal was fun.  
Kang Jaehee: I’m glad it went well, Zen. I’m sure you were dazzling.  
ZEN: Yeah haha.  
Yoosung: Is it not always fun?  
ZEN: I mean… yeah, kinda. There’s always something interesting going on, but sometimes there’s just too much drama.  
ZEN: There are also days where I’m not feeling it as much… but today was the opposite.  
Chaeyoung: That’s great!  
ZEN: Yeah… we rehearsed one of the more intense scenes and I was super nervous because I’ve never acted out anything like that before, but I actually pulled it off and it felt really good.  
Yoosung: Awesome!!  
707: oooo is this that one where you’re a bad boy??  
ZEN: Yeah? Though idk if I’d call my character a bad boy…  
707: he has that energy tho  
Kang Jaehee: Definitely.  
Yoosung: Ohhh wait.  
Yoosung: Is this the video game movie??  
ZEN: Yup!! That’s the one.  
Yoosung: Oooohhh what was the game called again?  
Kang Jaehee: Dandelion.  
Kang Jaehee: It’s quite an interesting game. Marketed to a female audience, but I think anyone could enjoy it.  
Chaeyoung: You’re making me want to check it out!  
Kang Jaehee: Do it! I’m sure you’ll like it.  
Chaeyoung: I bet I will.  
ZEN: Do it…. because then you’ll understand exactly what happens in the musical. Not even I get it.  
Kang Jaehee: You should play your character’s route, then.  
ZEN: But it’s impossible… I always end up with someone else or locked in a cage or something.  
Yoosung: ...oh wow.  
707: then hack the game so u get the good ending  
Kang Jaehee: Then use route guides. I’ll send you a couple I’ve used when playing.  
ZEN: Thanks, Jaehee!!  
Kang Jaehee: No problem!  
Kang Jaehee: Anyway, when’s the premiere? I want to reserve tickets as soon as possible.  
ZEN: In around three weeks… I think September 27th?  
ZEN: And I could get you tickets.  
Kang Jaehee: ...Really? Omg  
Kang Jaehee: I’d love that!!  
ZEN: Yeah!! It’s no problem. Anyone else wants tickets?  
707: Me.  
ZEN: You’re not even gonna go.  
707: Busted.  
Chaeyoung: Hmm… I could go with you, Jaehee. 

Jaehee’s heart skipped a beat. 

Kang Jaehee: !!!!  
Kang Jaehee: That’d be… really nice actually.  
707: omg stop flirting…….  
Kang Jaehee:?  
Chaeyoung: No one’s… flirting  
707: if you say so…  
Kang Jaehee: :sighemoji:  
ZEN: Okay so then… two tickets for the RFA’s two princesses.  
Chaeyoung: You got it.  
Kang Jaehee: Thank you so much for this, Zen… I don’t know how, but I promise I’ll repay you.  
ZEN: omg you don’t have to… consider it a favor!!  
Kang Jaehee: If you insist, then…  
Chaeyoung: Yay! This is exciting!!  
Kang Jaehee: Very.

Jaehee bit her lip, almost giddy with excitement at the thought of seeing Zen perform again. And perform as that character… it would be breathtaking. He’d be showing a new side of himself, expanding his talents tenfold. Even if she didn’t want to admit it, Jaehee had been a little skeptical at first… she didn’t see Zen performing a character like Jisoo (and if he were to be cast as anyone in Dandelion, Jieun was probably the best choice, he looked eerily similar to Zen, both had red eyes and white hair). But she trusted Zen and knew he was talented enough to achieve anything. And Chaeyoung, her favorite person ever, was going with her… the idea alone sent shivers all over her body. 

Yoosung: I wish I could go… but I have a project the next day T_T  
Kang Jaehee: Good, You should focus on that.  
707: (she’s saying they don’t want you there)  
Chaeyoung: Not necessarily….  
707: LMAOOOO

Han Jumin has entered the chatroom. 

707: How brutal  
Yoosung: It’s alright, I’d be third-wheeling anyways…

The messages had been so quick that Jaehee almost didn’t notice the entrance notification. She froze at reading Jumin’s name. Did he have to come right now? She’d been enjoying herself in this chatroom for the first time in days, with no one prodding about the party anymore. But now, with Jumin here, they would, and Jaehee still didn’t want to bother explaining anything, knowing how condescending he could be. Plus, it was a stupid problem to dwell on, and she did not have the energy to deal with her ex-boss right now. But she wasn’t going to invent a lame excuse to cop out. She needed to stand her ground. 

707: Oh look! It’s Jumin.  
Han Jumin: Good evening, everyone.  
Chaeyoung: Hello Jumin.  
ZEN: Ugh, it’s you again?  
Han Jumin: Hey, Chaeyoung. Good to see you here again.  
Han Jumin: And yes, unfortunately for you, Zen. 

Jaehee clutched her phone tightly, considering greeting him. She decided she had to be polite, at least. With stiff fingers, she typed, and retyped, and then sent a simple greeting. 

Kang Jaehee: Good evening, Jumin.  
Han Jumin: Jaehee. I did not realize you were here. 

She sighed, clenching her teeth. _Didn’t I show you how to check if someone was in the chat just last week?_

ZEN: Lolol why are you guys speaking like this is a historical ball or something.  
Han Jumin: It’s called etiquette. You should study it.  
ZEN: So I become a pompous jerk like you?  
707: lmfaoooo  
Kang Jaehee: I don’t think Zen needs extra etiquette lessons. He’s already charming as he is.  
Chaeyoung: Seconded. Zen’s quite the gentleman.  
ZEN: Yes… I am a Gentleman.  
ZEN: :winkemoji:  
Han Jumin: Do you really believe this man right here has an ounce of etiquette? You’d have to be stupid to think so. 

It was very likely that he was joking, but Jaehee was truly getting tired of this man always, always debating every point she made. Was his grudge really that heavy? Did she join the “Han Jumin Target Club” along with Zen? 

Kang Jaehee: …  
Kang Jaehee: Well, if that’s what you think...  
ZEN: I do, just not around you. You don’t deserve any.  
Han Jumin: :sighemoji:  
707: OWNED...  
Chaeyoung: Damn.  
Yoosung: Lololol you made Jumin use an emoji  
Kang Jaehee: Rare occurrence.  
Han Jumin: Well, whatever.  
Han Jumin: Let’s stop this conversation. It’s fruitless.  
Chaeyoung: And we return to square one…  
Kang Jaehee: As always.  
ZEN: Ok. Whatever.  
ZEN: What about you, Yoosung? Anything interesting happened today?  
707: Aside from getting destroyed in lolol  
Yoosung: :angryemoji:  
Yoosung: Seven….. quit it.  
Chaeyoung: Omg… he’s rebelling.  
Kang Jaehee: As he should.  
Yoosung: And nothing much… went to class, didn’t understand anything, now I’m here.  
Yoosung: So like, the usual.  
Chaeyoung: Riveting.  
Yoosung: Ikr.  
Yoosung: What about you, Jaehee? Perhaps your day was more interesting than mine.  
707: damn ur just gonna ignore me like that??  
Kang Jaehee: If you find deep cleaning interesting… then sure, I guess.  
Kang Jaehee: I spent about four hours cleaning up the café place.  
Yoosung: Oooooo  
Kang Jaehee: Or what will one day be the café….  
Chaeyoung: Omg  
Chaeyoung: !!!!!!  
Chaeyoung: Can we see? a sneak peek? 

Jaehee thought for a second about sending a small video of the place, but she wanted Chaeyoung to experience it for herself. And Jumin would certainly say something. 

Kang Jaehee: You’ll have to wait… wouldn’t spoil it for you ;)  
707: omg wink emoji  
Chaeyoung: You’re mean.  
Kang Jaehee: You can come to see it for yourself… but I’d like to personally show it.  
Chaeyoung: Okay then… but the wait will kill me T_T  
Kang Jaehee: Patience, my dear…  
ZEN: Lolololol  
Han Jumin: You already have a location?  
Han Jumin: You’re fast. 

Kang Jaehee Yes…  
Kang Jaehee: And a very good one, in a calm neighborhood. It’s not too big and brand new, so we don’t have to do any remodeling work.  
Chaeyoung: That sounds awesome!  
Kang Jaehee: It is! The area is beautiful, actually… mostly residential, but there is a quite large private university close.  
Chaeyoung: Wow, I can’t wait to see it…  
Kang Jaehee: I can’t wait for you to see it.  
Kang Jaehee: :happyemoji:  
Han Jumin: A residential area… Not the best place for a café business, according to our research.  
Han Jumin: It’ll be difficult to keep a wide customer influx that way. 

God damn it. She took a breath before furiously typing. 

Kang Jaehee: Yes, that is true. Busier areas are preferred, obviously, but neighborhood cafés are also very common. Their clientele might not be wide, but it is usually consistent.  
Han Jumin: They also have higher rates of early closing, according to your research.  
Kang Jaehee: That’s due to badly done market studies. Good neighborhood cafés blend into the area and serve as common meeting spots.  
Han Jumin: Then you’ll need an extensive market study.  
Kang Jaehee: Yes, I know that.  
Han Jumin: As you should. 

She frowned, narrowing her eyes. Why was he so annoying? Did he need to treat this as if it were his project too? If this was him trying to help, then she didn’t want it. 

ZEN: Dude, why are you prodding so much...  
Chaeyoung: Jumin, I think Jaehee can handle herself. This is her area, after all. She knows what she’s doing.

Once again, Jaehee was endlessly grateful for Chaeyoung. Jumin seemed to take her more seriously, perhaps because he didn’t know her the way he thought he knew Jaehee. She could say everything that was on her mind, yet he would dismiss it. 

Kang Jaehee: Thank you, Chaeyoung.  
Kang Jaehee: It’s exactly as she says. I’d prefer you to stay out of this.  
Han Jumin: I’m only trying to help, that is all.  
Kang Jaehee: If I ever wanted your help, then I would ask for it. 

The chat was silent for a few long instants, and Jaehee feared she’d come off too harsh. She should've just said “thank you” and excused herself away… As she was typing exactly that, Jumin replied. 

Han Jumin: Alright, then.  
Han Jumin: Do as you please.  
Kang Jaehee: Thank you for understanding. 

The chat was quiet again, and Jaehee relaxed her shoulders, shifting on the rather uncomfortable counter. She looked at the time, somehow it was 22:17 and she hadn’t eaten anything in almost six hours… she should really get going. With almost a jolt, she jumped down from the counter, grabbing her coat and getting her vacuum back on its box. When she went to pick up her phone so she could say goodbye and leave, new messages had popped up. 

Han Jumin: My day was rather uneventful… today’s meeting went alright, but applications are piling up on my desk.  
Yoosung: That sounds stressful…. T_T  
Han Jumin: Well, yes… I don’t understand why so many people are interested in the job. The more resumés that come, the less interested I am to look through them. 

_I don’t understand either_ , Jaehee thought. 

707: they’re all looking for their opportunity to work for the One and Only Han Jumin…  
Han Jumin: Luciel, you’re not helping.  
707: sorry  
707: :cryingemoji:  
Chaeyoung: Oh! Speaking of...  
Chaeyoung: When are we meeting so I can help you go through them? I promised I’d help you find a new assistant, remember?

Jaehee frowned as her heart jumped. _Oh, right..._

Han Jumin: Hm… Are you available next weekend?  
Chaeyoung: Yes! I’ll mark my calendar.  
Han Jumin: Excellent

In a surge of impulsivity, Jaehee decided to type “You’re helping him find a new assistant?”, and regretted it immediately. She really shouldn’t care about what Chaeyoung did, and Jumin did need help, with how much he complained. But she couldn’t help but think it was strange. 

Chaeyoung: Yes…  
Chaeyoung: I felt a bit bad about rejecting his job offer… so I decided to help him out. 

Jaehee felt herself smile, and her chest warmed. This was surprisingly endearing of Chaeyoung, always trying to do the best for people.

Han Jumin: It was very nice of her to offer.  
Han Jumin: Oh.  
Han Jumin: Now that I think about it…  
Han Jumin: Jaehee, would you like to help, too?  
707: now that was unexpected. 

Indeed. She near dropped her phone, bringing a hand to her mouth. Why would he ask that?

Kang Jaehee: ?  
Kang Jaehee: I don’t think that would be proper…  
Han Jumin: Why not?  
ZEN: Dude, why would she want to help find her replacement…  
Kang Jaehee: ^^ That.  
Han Jumin: I figured that since she knows what the position entails better than anyone else, that she’d be good at selecting the right candidates. 

Well, now that he mentioned that… he did have a point. And as uncomfortable as the idea was-- she wanted to leave that life behind and not look back on it-- she figured it’d be a good way to obtain closure. She did leave in a haste, after all, and it never felt like it was truly over. And Jumin was right, she did know the job better than anyone else. She knew all about Jumin’s… eccentricities and could advise him on qualities to look for. It wasn’t a bad idea. 

Kang Jaehee: … You have a point.  
Kang Jaehee: Alright then, I’ll help you.  
Han Jumin: Good. 

This was going to be interesting, for sure. After a second, she decided to bid goodbye to the chat and finally head home. She picked up her things and shut off the lights, exiting into the now dead silent street, the peace of the neighborhood now turning into eerie silence. Her footsteps were the only sound she heard as she made her way to her car, feeling uneasy. Having to see Jumin again after what happened at the party to find her replacement still didn’t sit well with her. 

If it were her choice, she’d make it so she didn’t have to deal with Han Jumin ever again. She would just take her lessons, get her complaints out, and leave him be, moving on to a new life where no one was above her or holding her back. And, though it technically wasn’t like that anymore, it still felt like he was, and she couldn’t do anything about it. They were still RFA members, they couldn’t cut each other off, no matter how hard they tried. Jaehee figured they could do the best with what they had. The bad blood would evaporate with time, and it wouldn’t be as hostile. But she doubted they could ever be friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fuck jumin lives 
> 
> (i love u tho jumin)
> 
> (edited on 24/09 to fix formatting issues)


	4. Hold Back The River

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven struggles with his investigation. Chaeyoung copes with the decision to host another party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeeeeeyyy whatsup 
> 
> it's been a while which. shouldn't be surprising at this point and if there's anyone subscribed to this thing i just want to say i love u so much 
> 
> anyway here's a funky lil chapter i wrote in 2 sittings that were like 3 weeks apart. sorry for the lack of age but the next one is gonna be 5k words of nothing but fluff so get ready

SEVEN WAS PRETTY SURE he was going to get wrinkles from squinting into his monitor. It was as if that was the permanent state of his face nowadays, brows frozen into a confused frown, dry mouth tasting the sweet dregs of whichever meal he’d had six hours ago. This Mint Eye search was proving to be much more strenuous than the first one; he’d been at this for two days now and all he’d managed to find were some numbers in deep web online forums. He was trying to piece them together in his mind which was almost as messy as his monitor, where he had to scourge in order to find the notes tab where he pasted all the information he found and added commentary. So far, he didn’t have much.

The numbers were code names, he guessed, but for what? Did anyone in the cult have one, or was it only for a select group of people? The forums suggested the latter. But then again, he had no idea what the forums were even talking about. 

He had no idea about anything, actually. Everything he found was either too surface level, like its location and some flyers, or too confusing. This had to be one of the most frustrating jobs he’s ever taken, it seemed impossible. Seven almost wanted to smash his keyboards with a hammer, if only to let some of this tension go. He leaned back on his chair, now warm and hollowed from many hours of sitting, and huffed, letting the words and numbers on the screen blur. 

This Mint Eye bullshit was seriously getting to him. It had no business being that hard… Why did a tiny religious cult have such an insanely complex security system? It was identical to the ones he worked with, which was the terrifying part. If he were to breach them, then they’d know exactly how to not only deflect him but send him catapulted into the black hole of cybernetic junk. So he had to rely on external sources, and that was proving to be impossible, even for him. 

But he was Agent 707, for God’s sake! Hacking prodigy, terror of the deepest parts of the web. Governments feared him, deep web freaks wanted to kiss his ass. He would find a way around this, just like he’d found a way around everything else. He just needed a bit more Dr. Pepper. A deep breath. A mental pep talk. There, he was ready to get back into it. 

“Seven, if I don’t see your ass getting on that-- What are you doing?”

_Goddammit_ , Vanderwood. He froze as soon as the light from the next room hit him, feeling the piercing glare of his supervisor. He didn’t need to turn around to witness the look of pure disdain on their face. Yes, he knew he should be working on the agency assignment, he knew it was going to be the sixth time today Vanderwood scolded him about it. But he also didn’t give a shit. This was RFA business, they could be in danger, and he was not going to rest until their safety had been ensured. 

“Working? Vandy, what else would I be doing?” He said, in mock offense, hoping some humor would get him out of their blunders. 

Vanderwood huffed, exasperated. “That doesn’t look like your assignment. You know you can’t fool me, 707.”

“Alriiight,” Seven whined, slumping in his chair. He was way too tired to argue right now. “But could you, pretty please—“

“I will not clean your room if that’s what you’re asking,” Vanderwood cut him off. 

Well, guess that excuse had gotten old already. But he didn’t have anything else, so he just kept his act. “But Vandyyy!” He slid down his chair. 

“Seven…” they sighed. “Stop acting like a twelve-year-old and get back to your mission.” 

Seven groaned into his sweater that had somehow made its way to below his glasses. 

“Seriously,” Vanderwood kept going. “This mission was assigned five days ago, what’s taking you so long?” And then, lower, concern in their voice, “Is everything alright?” 

He sat up, figuring he might as well tell the truth. Vanderwood wasn’t going to be as hard on him over RFA business as would other Agency supervisors, which made Seven grateful, at least then, that they were the only person who could stand them enough to supervise them. “RFA related stuff,” he said, locking eyes with the other agent. 

Their eyes widened. “Still? I thought you already solved whatever issue it was you had…” 

Seven shook his head, lips pursed. “I mean…” he shrugged, “we did, but then one of our members got right in the middle of the trouble and now we have to figure out what goes on with him.” 

In response, Vanderwood approached the monitors, eyes narrowing as they got closer, seeing the mess Seven was trying to untangle. “Holy shit…” they whispered. “This is crazy… like, batshit insane.” 

Seven nodded along. “You see what I mean now…?” 

“Yeah,” they said. They tried to find what to say next, stepping back from the setup. “Honestly… I know you’ll solve it, I just don’t know how.” 

“I have no idea either,” Seven huffed. “They’re near impossible.” 

Vanderwood licked their lips, before turning back to Seven, who was making a dizzy effort to prop himself up. “Look… you do your RFA thing, I don’t care,” they said, eyes level with Seven’s, “but you have to at least work on the mission. Help us out here. I don’t want to get my balls cut off and neither do you.”

Seven knew this was coming, that at some point he’d have to do both things at the same time. It didn’t make it any less disappointing, though, as he felt his need to protect the RFA piling on top of his duties that could very well end in death or other scandalous consequences if they weren’t completed. Shit, he’d be trapped here until further notice. 

Vanderwood left the room, leaving Seven to plop down on his seat, letting it roll until it hit the back wall as he let his mind go on complete shut down for a few seconds. He needed to reset and restart, figure out a way. He could do this. He was 707, _he could do this_. 

His eyes wandered around the room, from his feet to the blue LED lights on the ceiling, to the overflowing trash can in the corner and back to the busy monitors filled with codes he knew like the back of his hand mixing with meaningless words. 

Meaning he could easily find if he took the risk. And at this rate, that was the only choice left if he didn’t want another major issue on top of him. 

He sighed as he realized this low profile thing wasn’t going to work. He’d have to go in, dive to the deepest parts of Mint Eye’s informational pit. He didn’t like the idea, it would most certainly blow his cover and endanger the rest of the RFA, but he figured he’d tackle that problem when it came. Now, it was time to get to work. 

THE SCENT OF FRESH BREW wafted itself through Chaeyoung’s nose, triggering the aftertaste of the sweet drink she was having. Her surroundings were white noise to her, blenders and order bells, clinking cups, and scraping chairs. It all felt like home, immediately getting her mind into that characteristic creative state where ideas seemed to come out almost magically from her fingers. The colors in her screen finally made sense to her, a picture getting clearer and clearer with every hand stroke. 

Cafés and bakeries had always been her “zone.” Something about them, perhaps the intimate atmosphere of relaxation, allowed her to free her creativity, to get a job done and enjoy the process. She hadn’t been able to visit any place other than the convenience store across the apartment for about a week, but now that she could roam freely without having to look behind her every few seconds, she was not going to waste a second. It felt good, to return to what she found so familiar. 

But even this had changed. Because she found that everywhere-- in the dripping espresso, in the swirls of caramel, in the sunlit vines-- she saw Jaehee. It was as if her spirit was dancing to the pouring of drinks and quiet music. She had become such a constant to Chaeyoung in such a short time that she thought about her even in the plainest moments. Jaehee had just entered her life, but Chaeyoung already couldn’t imagine it without her. 

And this was only the beginning. They had a lot ahead of them, whatever opening a coffee shop entailed, and Chaeyoung couldn’t wait to get started. She could almost see the day where she stood in front of something they’d created together, proud and glowing from within. She didn’t know what it would look like yet, didn’t know what the next few months had in store for her, but it was definitely good. 

She took a sip of her coffee (which now, thanks to Jaehee’s many info dumps, she recognized as arabica variety), reaching for her phone to check the time. It’s 5:05, which pleasantly surprised her, she’d been here for around 40 minutes and was already done with her piece. Something else caught her attention, though. A new chatroom opened by Jumin. 

Zen and Yoosung were also online, they always seemed to be these days. They wonder what she’s been up to, and she sends a picture of the piece she's been working on, smiling widely when they shower her with compliments. Even Jumin drops a “Your art is very elegant. Pleasant to look at. You’re very talented.”

Seven and Jaehee came in next, now Seven has chosen to tease Zen over some ponytail-less edits he found of him on the internet, saying he’ll pay him $273,889 in cash if he does it. Zen is not having it. 

Han Jumin: How will you even get the money, Luciel?

Chaeyoung: I don’t even want to imagine…

Chaeyoung: Seven, please don’t come at us asking us to save you from getting caught by the police for hacking into a bank or something…

707: no!!!!!!!!!

707: I would never do ANYTHING like that!!!!

707: I am a perfectly law-abiding citizen!! example to all!!

Yoosung: :sighemoji:

ZEN: You’re literally a hacker;

707: And you don’t have to worry about that, Jumin^^

707: I’ve got my methods.

707: Anything for no rat tail Zen!!

707: zen.jpg

ZEN: Stop spamming the picture!!

ZEN: AND IT’S NOT A RAT TAIL. IT’S A PONYTAIL

ZEN: :angryemoji:

707: was not spamming.

ZEN: Whatever. I’ll never do that. 

ZEN: I look so weird without it no. 

Han Jumin: I’d say you actually look better. More polished. 

ZEN: No one asked for your opinion, trust fund.

Chaeyoung: I like you better without it too, but… 

Chaeyoung: It’s like… a part of your look, you know?

ZEN: Exactly. 

Kang Jaehee: I agree with Zen. That picture is atrocious.

Han Jumin: Oh. You were here?

Kang Jaehee: Didn’t you see me come in?

Han Jumin: You didn’t say anything.

Kang Jaehee: :sighemoji:

Chaeyoung bit her lip. She didn’t know what she’d do with herself if she saw another pointless chat argument between Jumin and Jaehee. It was starting to become too much, like the Jumin/Zen showdowns but with actual venom. 

Kang Jaehee: Anyways,

Kang Jaehee: Zen isn’t Zen without his rat tail.

Kang Jaehee: Luciel, your suggestions are terrible. 

707: Jaehee, you’re mean

707: :cryingemoji:

Kang Jaehee: ...sorry, I guess.

Chaeyoung snorts into her straw. 

Han Jumin: So you agree it’s a rat tail?

Kang Jaehee: Never said it wasn’t…

ZEN: It’s not tho….

Yoosung: Uh...

Kang Jaehee: …

707: guys someone has to tell him.

Through laughter, Chaeyoung typed the answer that was sure to break Zen’s heart at least a tiny bit. At this point, she was sure plenty of eyes were on her from laughing into her phone for two whole minutes. 

Chaeyoung: Zen, I regret to inform you,

Chaeyoung: But that is indeed a rat tail.

ZEN: :shockemoji:

Yoosung: Lmaooo Chaeyoung 

Yoosung: You have no chill

707: LOLOLOLOLOLOL

ZEN: Really??

Han Jumin: She’s right.

ZEN: Omg…

ZEN: Can’t believe you guys betrayed me like that!

707: any1 can betray any1

Kang Jaehee: It’s the truth…

Kang Jaehee: Sorry, Zen. 

ZEN: Man… 

Chaeyoung leaned back on her chair as the laughter died down. The RFA is surely the most chaotic group she’d ever been a part of, and most of the time, it’s hilarious. 

Han Jumin: Anyways,

Han Jumin: I was actually waiting for all of you to arrive. 

Han Jumin: I have an announcement. 

707: Oh??

Kang Jaehee: Did something happen, Jumin?

Han Jumin: As you all know, our last party was quite successful

Han Jumin: Thanks to the efforts of Chaeyoung, our coordinator. 

ZEN: Yeah… I had a great time. 

Yoosung: It was so fun!! Best RFA party ever!!!

707: yay!!!! Go Chaeyoung!!

She smiled at their praise. They sure had a habit of overblowing the positives of every situation. She liked it, though.

Chaeyoung: Thanks, guys.

Chaeyoung: You guys helped a lot too! Give yourselves a bit more credit!

Chaeyoung: We wouldn’t have as many guests if it weren’t for you guys.

707: aaaaawwwwwwww

Kang Jaehee: Yes…

Kang Jaehee: The party succeeded thanks to all of us. 

Han Jumin: Yes. 

Han Jumin: Which is why… I believe we should have another one. 

Yoosung: !!!!

ZEN: Oh absolutely!!

Han Jumin: If Chaeyoung is comfortable with the idea, of course.

Chaeyoung propped her chin on her hand. Amidst the proposals and hacker mysteries, she’d forgotten about the party… Sure, she’d sent out thank you emails and calculated the total raised amount. but she hadn’t thought she’d be back at this party planning thing so soon. She figured it made sense though, considering the last one had gone so well. But wasn’t she busy enough? She could certainly try still, and if she was given more time (which she assumed would happen), she could do something just as good or even better. Their collective enthusiasm made it hard to say no. 

Chaeyoung: Of course!

Kang Jaehee: So we are having another party…

Kang Jaehee: I’m glad to hear that. It was a pleasure to work with Chaeyoung on this last one and I’d love to do it again, but

Kang Jaehee: You’ve discussed this with V, I’m assuming?

Chaeyoung bit her lip, remembering V’s… current status. How was Jumin going to cover it up? He didn’t take long to reply.

Han Jumin: Actually, that’s the second thing I wanted to discuss.

Han Jumin: V has decided… to withdraw from the RFA.

Han Jumin: And he has appointed me as the new leader.

ZEN: omg what…

Kang Jaehee: Really? Oh…

Kang Jaehee: Well, then. 

Yoosung: …….

ZEN: He left? I can’t believe…

Yoosung: Me neither wtf

Yoosung: He didn’t even say goodbye to us. He didn’t even come to the last party. 

Yoosung: Did he even care about us anymore? Oh my god.

ZEN: I’m sure he still did, but…

_This is about to explode_ , Chaeyoung thought, leaning into the armrest of her chair. She figured she probably should say something, not make them suspicious. She squirmed as she typed the lie. 

Chaeyoung: This is…

Chaeyoung: I didn’t see it coming either. 

Kang Jaehee: I didn’t expect it either, but he probably had his reasons. 

Han Jumin: Yes…

Han Jumin: He told me they were very personal, so out of respect for him, I will not share them. 

Nice one, Jumin.

Yoosung: Shouldn’t we know, though??

Yoosung: I mean… he left out of nowhere, he didn’t even say goodbye to us, nothing… 

Yoosung: like it’s just sketchy. 

Kang Jaehee: I wouldn’t say it was that out of nowhere. 

Kang Jaehee: I mean, he has been increasingly inactive lately… it doesn’t shock me that he decided to withdraw completely, now that I think about it. 

707: ^^

Yoosung: Still…

ZEN: I know but 

ZEN: I never thought he would actually leave, I mean…

ZEN: I thought we were his family.

Yoosung: I thought he cared about us. 

Yoosung: About Rika. 

Oh shit. 

Yoosung: Now I’m starting to think… he never cared about her at all, to leave so easily.

Kang Jaehee: Well, that’s…

Han Jumin: Yoosung, if you don’t know the details of the situation, it’s best not to speak. 

Kang Jaehee: ^^ It’s disrespectful to speculate. 

Chaeyoung: Yeah… 

Chaeyoung: I’m sure he didn’t leave with bad intentions. 

She could make up a lie, she thought. About how she assumed V had cared a lot about the RFA. They were the last link to his deceased fiancee, after all… but she knew the truth, and the lie seemed too faked in her mind. And Yoosung, for his part, seemed inconvincible. 

Yoosung: Still… don’t you think this is just a bit weird?? I mean

707: Yoosung. 

707: V probably did this to protect us. So stop, please. 

707: he’s never wanted ANYTHING other than for us to be safe and happy, so stop assuming things. 

Yoosung: … 

Yoosung: Did you know this, Seven?

Yoosung: Did he tell you? And you didn’t say anything?

Yoosung: He always seemed to talk about important things only with you, anyway…

Chaeyoung’s chest started closing up, getting tighter and tighter as Yoosung’s suspicion grew. Secrets had always been a hot topic in the RFA because there were plenty of them. She couldn’t help but feel the vines of guilt wrapping around her limbs, freezing her… she was now part of one of these secrets. One of the reasons for their suspicion. It sickened her. 

707: No.

707: No, he didn’t. I never knew anything.

707: Yes, he trusted me… which is why I’m saying that everything he did was to protect us

707: and maybe this too…

707: so please. stop trying to twist this. 

707: if he decided to leave then we respect his decision and move on. 

Chaeyoung: Yeah…

Chaeyoung: I know very little about V, but I know he did care about the RFA… 

Chaeyoung: And now we must carry it on. For him, and for Rika. 

Kang Jaehee: Yes.

Kang Jaehee: Thank you, Chaeyoung.

ZEN: Yes. Let’s keep doing the parties, keep sticking together…

ZEN: and trust the trust fund kid or whatever.

Han Jumin: Wow. Never thought I’d hear you say something like that.

707: lolol trust the trust fund kid. 

Kang Jaehee: I’m sure Jumin will do a great job leading. 

Han Jumin: Thank you, Jaehee. 

Yoosung: Okay…

Yoosung: Sorry for being so emotional. You’re right, let’s just move on.

Yoosung: we have a party to plan!!

707: hell yeah!!!!

Chaeyoung: Oh yes. 

Chaeyoung: Alright boys and Jaehee, you know what to do. 

707: Guest huntttttt

Chaeyoung: haha yeah.

707: letsgetittttttt

ZEN: lolololol boys and Jaehee.

Kang Jaehee: Lmao

Chaeyoung: I mean… yeah lol.

They continued to discuss party details as the sun started to set. A tentative date was set for late December, and they decided it’d be fun to make it a Christmas themed fundraising event, profiting off the season’s spirit and all. Chaeyoung wasn’t looking forward to doing all she did last time again in the cold, but there was nothing she could do. The party would be much larger, of course, since this time they’d have almost three months to prepare instead of just ten days. Jumin also said he’d like to invite 100 organizations, which made Chaeyoung go pale, but he was set on believing she could do it, judging by how quickly she’d gathered twenty guests. 

Well, she sure couldn’t argue against that. Plus, she had Jaehee’s “unconditional help,” and she’d be more available this time, so they could certainly achieve a lot… Still, she felt uncertain. The Mint Eye plan was a huge roadblock, one only three of the members saw. However that went, it could completely ruin the party. One could almost say confirming a second party now was a stupid decision, considering how rocky the road was looking. Maybe Jumin decided it to keep the normalcy facade? Chaeyoung tried to go through the possibilities in her mind, and there were plenty, but she still felt like she needed an explanation from Jumin himself. This was simply not the right time to be planning a party.

She made her way to the RFAU chat to get this out. Thankfully, Seven had gotten ahead of her. 

707: jumin . 

707: han jumin

707: HAN 

707: JUMIN

707: What was that??

707: like why???

Han Jumin: Do you have a problem, Luciel?

707: yes I do 

707: why did you suggest a party 

707: when we’re in the MIDDLE of catching a hacker???

707: and planning a RESCUE MISSION?

Chaeyoung: I was wondering the same thing.

Chaeyoung: This isn’t the best moment to… plan a party, Jumin.

707: yeah that’s 

707: just not smth we can do rn 

Chaeyoung: We don’t even know how this is going to turn out… it’s too much to make plans. 

He took a while to type his answer, in which Chaeyoung anxiously drank the rest of her coffee.

Han Jumin: We agreed to keep this search a secret if I recall.

Han Jumin: And in order to do that, we must maintain normalcy.

Han Jumin: I know they would ask about the next party rather soon. It would be inattentive of me as a leader to not tackle that as soon as I could.

Chaeyoung: Oh… I understand.

707: yeah but you could’ve 

707: said something like “we should start discussing the next party” or something

707: not define everything upfront….

Han Jumin: It is best to make important decisions upfront when carrying out any project.

Han Jumin: In this case that includes dates and goals. The location will be the C&R conference salon as last time. 

Chaeyoung raised her brows, somewhat mesmerized by how good at this he was. It was truly his area of expertise, this leading thing. 

Chaeyoung: Yes I get it but

Chaeyoung: We can’t guarantee anything, still. That's why we say it’s not the best time.

Han Jumin: Honestly, I’m not too scared about the mission. 

Han Jumin: We have enough contacts to call if anything goes wrong.

Han Jumin: I don’t see a reason to be worried if we can control it. 

Chaeyoung: ….

She did not see how he was thinking he could control this. _Guess you’re just built differently_ , she thought, _when you don’t have to worry about mundane things every day_.

707: but what if it doesn’t work

707: what if your backup isn’t enough and we DO end up in a Bad situation

707: and we end up taking longer than we thought… what happens to the party then?

Han Jumin: We just move the date. 

Han Jumin: Make adjustments. Really, there’s nothing to panic about. 

Wow. He made it seem easy… but could she trust his words better than her own instincts? Well, maybe so. She couldn’t think of any more concerns and he would surely deflect any she were to have. Was this truly safe?

Chaeyoung: Hm.

Chaeyoung: ...Okay.

Chaeyoung: I don’t feel great about it, but okay.

707: yeah same 

707: the date will probably have to be changed, we don’t know when we’re gonna do this or if we’re gonna solve everything by December

Han Jumin: At this rate, I reckon we will.

707: at what rate lmao… sorry to discourage u but my search is. more useless than ur driving skills.

Chaeyoung: yikes…

Han Jumin: Hey. Do not insult my driving skill.

707: so idk when we’ll get started on this… i hope it’s soon like i know we’re running against time.

Han Jumin: Still, let’s settle for the 28th of December as our tentative date.

Chaeyoung: ...alright.

707: but why did you have to make the date Jaehee’s birthday? What was the need?

Oh yeah… that had soured the mood. Chaeyoung considered it could be one of Jumin’s moves to piss Jaehee off as part of whatever petty revenge he was carrying out. She didn’t complain, but she was certainly not happy about it. 

Chaeyoung: Yeah… Can’t we move the date, just for her consideration?

Han Jumin: Where would we move it to, though? The best move is to host it after Christmas, instead of before, when there are dozens of holiday events going around. 

Han Jumin: And the 28th falls right on a weekend. I can’t think of a date that works better.

Chaeyoung: I just don’t think Jaehee would want to spend her birthday working at a charity party…

707: yeah it’s def not the most fun birthday activity

Han Jumin: If she feels uncomfortable with the date, she should’ve said it then.

_But would you take her into account?_

Han Jumin: And we can celebrate her birthday after, anyways.

Chaeyoung: …

Chaeyoung: Seven… I’m going to quickly need those emojis here. Could really use the sigh one right now.

707: yes maam

707: and Jumin…

707: stop being petty…

Han Jumin: ?

Chaeyoung: Yeah… it’s becoming excessive. 

Han Jumin: I am not being petty.

Han Jumin: I’m being practical. 

Chaeyoung sighed as she typed an “if you say so…” She was not in the mood to argue. And neither was Seven, who called Jumin petty once more before excusing himself to go work. Not wanting to deal with Jumin alone, Chaeyoung decided to leave the chat, gather her things, and make her way out. 

A new party wasn’t something she’d expected… at least not so soon. In the plans for the next few weeks, which included research and brainstorming and investigating cults, she had not imagined party planning as part of the hustle. But now it was, and she had to carry it out, no matter how wrong it felt to her. It’s too risky. Too uncertain. Too “what if.”

But maybe, like Jumin said, just maybe it wasn’t so uncertain. Maybe they did have enough net ready to catch their free-fall. 

Chaeyoung was not trusting him, not yet. Instead, she held onto both paths, the rocky one and the silk smooth one. She could see herself crossing both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ngl saeyoung was fun as hell to write and so was petty jumin


	5. Trying (And Failing) To Take It Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaehee has Chaeyoung over for the first time. They drink and watch musicals and think about their relationship. Chaeyoung visits the café for the first time. 
> 
> tw for mentions of alcohol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEYYYYYY WHATS UP its been like a month and I've been busy with Life Things BUT I'm still bringing a chapter that i spent too long working in and didn't edit bc i didn't wanna look at it anymore so like.. sorry if there r issues  
> its literally just. 6k words of mcjaehee hanging out with Nothing else. wholesome content. FINALLY some ship stuff but not That kind of stuff Yet...... we r going thru the slo burn  
> ALSO TYSM TO EVERYONE WHO COMMENTED yall are so nice it literally makes my day when i get a comment <3

JAEHEE DIDN’T KNOW HAVING people over would be this anxiety-inducing. She’d never gotten close enough to anyone to invite them into her home, and now she didn’t know what the hell she was supposed to do. Once again, she checked the clock-- it was 5:58 P.M., which meant she had a good hour left to check and recheck everything she’d spent the past hour preparing. Her apartment was as clean as it’d been in months. Her fridge was well-stocked, shall Chaeyoung want anything, the wine glasses were clean and the wine was ready to be drunk, so what else was there to do? Get ready… whatever that meant. Should she dress casually? Or just wear a sweater and leggings, like it was just another night in her apartment? 

Why was she overthinking this so much? She was just having a _friend_ over, for God’s sake, it wasn’t as if she should be trying to impress her. The occasion didn’t call for sweaty palms as she fixed everything so Chaeyoung was pleased (which she would be anyways, again why was she doing this), or a quick heartbeat at the idea of Chaeyoung simply being here, in her most personal space, one no person other than Jumin and Luciel (that one time he went to install cameras) had stepped foot on. 

Okay, maybe it was a big deal. Maybe this amount of nerves just came with being friends with someone, anyone would be anxious to have someone over for the first time. It was normal. It was alright.

She huffed a breath, admiring her throw pillow arrangement, which she’d redone for the fifth time today. With tense shoulders and a tingling stomach, she went to get ready. 

“I hope you’re okay with pistachio ice cream because that’s what I thought was interesting,” Chaeyoung said as Jaehee greeted her. She was wearing the most gorgeous overalls over a mustard turtleneck and carried with her what looked like two kilos of gelato from this place she loved. An ear-splitting smile was plastered on her face, one Jaehee took no time to return once she opened the door. 

“That would be excellent, I love pistachios,” she said, stepping aside to let her guest in. “I wonder how they make ice cream out of them.”

“I had the same question,” Chaeyoung said, setting the gelato on the dining table. “I looked it up, and it seems to be a special flavor essence and pistachio crumbs.”

“That makes sense,” Jaehee leaned into a chair, foot-tapping, not quite knowing what to do with herself. Chaeyoung appeared relaxed, though, with both hands resting on her overall pockets. Jaehee was glad at least one of them was comfortable. 

Chaeyoung asked for the door to Jaehee’s kitchen, which was right behind her, and went to put the ice cream somewhere it wouldn’t melt. Which left Jaehee alone in her living room, thoughts mulling over her head, heartbeat loud. She was here, now what? She had forgotten the script she’d carefully planned in her head-- which was loose now that she thought about it, just ordering food and watching a movie and drinking, there wasn’t much detail beyond that. Still, it set her mind ablaze, she was afraid of letting the night take hold of them, letting its events unfold without care. In the unknown, she was terrified of the spontaneous, and this-- _all_ of it-- was very unknown. 

Chaeyoung came out of the kitchen before her spiral of thoughts could wind further, and her eyes locked with Jaehee’s. They were wide as she took everything in, and Jaehee felt, at that moment, that whatever happened, it would be alright. She could just dive in, make it up as they went along. Improvise. She could be good at that too, sometimes. 

“So?” Chaeyoung said, not moving from her spot on the threshold, “are we visiting the café place?”

“Oh!” Jaehee blinked, startled. “Right, that’s what you came for…” She quickly stepped towards her front door, grabbing a denim coat from the rack. 

Chaeyoung laughed, following her. “I mean, I’m here to just spend time with you, but I did want a tour of the lovely café from the genius who picked it out.”

Jaehee grinned, a bit wider than she intended, turning for the door in an attempt to conceal her flushed cheeks. The warmth spread down to her shoulders, soft feathers taunting, and she shooed the reaction away. Her compliment shouldn't have landed that hard, it was just (bad) polite flattery. “Alright then, let’s not waste another second,” she said, grabbing her car keys and heading out. 

_THIS IS NEW_ , CHAEYOUNG THOUGHT as Jaehee drove them to the café’s location, a quiet and quaint square not far from Jaehee’s apartment. Chaeyoung had never been here before, she didn’t think this was a place you’d find a café in, but she took no time to fall in love with the area. It was green and lush and had this aura of privacy to it, with its well-groomed trees and brand-new modern buildings. She’d be happy to come here every single day, even happier to be around Jaehee’s company. 

Jaehee filled the silence during the ride, talking about how she’d come across this place when going to the park around the block one day and not thinking much of it, until three weeks later when she was looking online for listings of bakery places out of spite after Jumin had told her to “slack off” on the coffee project. Chaeyoung listened intently, recalling how pissed she’d been at that, how she’d nearly had a full-fledged argument with Jumin on work ethics. The memory made her swallow, embarrassment rushing to her shoulders. She sure had been bold for a newcomer. Jaehee chose to not follow his orders, electing to give in to her heart’s desires, and maybe it had cost her a job and a reputation she’d taken long to build, but it gave her so much more: the chance to start over, bringing Chaeyoung towards this change, too. And now here they were, walking towards a low-lit building on a quiet night. 

Jaehee’s step was quick as she strode for the café, and Chaeyoung followed one step behind, deciding to focus instead on the lanterns, the concert ads, the gardens on the balconies. She could already see their café as a part of all this, blending every color. The café which Jaehee was now in front of, digging her hands into her pockets for the keys. 

Chaeyoung rushed to stop her, holding out her key, which was now a proud member of her keyholder, along with a bunny-shaped pompom and too many souvenir keychains. “Allow me,” she said softly. Jaehee was shocked for a second before stepping away, and Chaeyoung snorted at how jumpy she was. She was excited. With her heart in her chest and electricity in her fingers, Chaeyoung turned the key, recreating the moment she’d witnessed too many times in her mind ever since Jaehee gave it to her. The door gave in. Chaeyoung turned the cold metal handle, giving way to a wide moonlit room with tall windows and a long counter. 

So, this was it, then. It was better than Chaeyoung could ever imagine, and she couldn’t help but run to one of the moonlight patches near the middle of the room to experience the vastness of everything herself. She noticed there were two doors on the back wall, one behind the counter and the other a few meters away. The room felt impossibly large, a blank canvas aching to be painted by their presence, the perfect place to birth their dreams into the world. Turning back to Jaehee, who was closing the front door, grinning widely at her, she said, “This place is perfect.”

Jaehee laughed. “You forgot to turn on the lights,” she said, going to do exactly that. Chaeyoung hummed when they lit, six string-held light bulbs giving the room a sun-like glow. The warmth made everything so much better, adding to the atmosphere a homelike feel Chaeyoung wanted to bask in. 

Chaeyoung began to walk around the place, hands running around the cold stone countertop that glinted slightly under the lights, feet treading tentatively through the just-polished wood floors. Jaehee followed behind her, hands in her pockets, and a pleasant smile on her face, looking more relaxed than Chaeyoung had ever seen her. Chaeyoung slipped behind the counter through the hatch, surprised at the amount of space there was. It didn’t look like much from behind. 

“I never knew café counters were so spacious,” she remarked, not used to being without the machinery and other people cramping the space. 

“Well, it won’t be once we get the equipment,” Jaehee said and Chaeyoung nodded. She went on to explain everything they’d add: espresso machines, blenders, shelves for syrups and spices and the like. There was a glint in her eyes as she spoke, a tilt in her voice and a rosy color to her cheeks that reminded Chaeyoung of a child in a firework show, marveled at the unimaginable being real. Her excitement enveloped Chaeyoung, drawing her closer to her as Jaehee sat cross-legged on the counter. 

Chaeyoung leaned on her palms. “I love how… excited you are about this,” she said. Jaehee met eyes with her before quickly averting them, shrugging the compliment away. 

“I mean…” she said, and Chaeyoung noticed she was trying (and failing) to tone her voice down. Her eyes, a burnt bronze color in this lighting, jumped across the room before she finally caved in and tuned to Chaeyoung again. “I am. I’m quite hopeful about all this, honestly,” she admitted, voice softer.

“Me too,” Chaeyoung said, propping herself up on the counter a few inches away from Jaehee. “It’s always exciting to start new things, especially with insightful people. And you make this as exciting as it can be.”

The compliment shocked Jaehee, because she snorted, hiding her smile with a hand. “I have to say you’re right. All of it’s very exciting…” Her eyes wandered off again. “Especially since you’re here. It all seems… much more exciting... when you’re here, I don’t know what it is,” she tripped over her words, eyes averting once more.

“Oh…” Chaeyoung’s brows crossed slightly. She’d never seen Jaehee be so… awkward around her, this was very unlike them. Despite the short time they’ve known each other, they’ve always clicked in a way that made awkwardness an impossibility, no one ever needed to tiptoe, so why was Jaehee doing it now? “You don’t have to be nervous around me,” she said, pulling her kindest smile possible and placing a hand on Jaehee’s knee, which didn’t seem to help based on how her leg tensed. Jaehee wasn't fond of physical contact, Chaeyoung noted, quickly removing it. 

Jaehee licked her lips. “I suppose not,” she said with a shrug. “But I admit I’m still new in… all of this.”

Chaeyoung nodded, but not quite understanding what Jaehee meant by _all of this_. Did she mean entrepreneuring? Friendship? Those _complicated feelings_ she’d told Chaeyoung about once that none of them were smart enough to unpack? Her troubled eyes weren’t helping Chaeyoung figure anything out. 

Or maybe it just wasn’t something to figure out just yet, and frankly, Chaeyoung didn’t want to anyways. She preferred to let whatever this was flow freely, let Jaehee lead her along the way. She didn’t care what was at the end of the path, didn’t care about the obstacles. She liked the _feeling_ of it, the fact that she was walking this path in the first place. Whatever came with it was secondary. 

“Well… we’ll figure everything out as we go,” she said, and Jaehee hummed in agreement. “There’s nothing to worry about yet. Let’s not complicate ourselves.”

“Yes,” Jaehee said, turning to Chaeyoung with a smile. Her hair, a grown-out pixie cut by now, fell around her face in a way that reminded Chaeyoung of fallen autumn leaves, and the unruly tresses framed her face strangely well. “Let’s take it easy for now.”

A few instants passed in pleasant silence, with only the wind howling. Both of them were anticipating the other’s next words until it became clear that there was nothing else to be said. They snorted so as not to break into full laughter. 

“Let’s just go,” Jaehee said, a laugh escaping her. 

“Yeah,” Chaeyoung slid off the counter on the opposite side and walked to the door. “We’ll see this place soon, I suppose?” She asked, turning to Jaehee behind her. 

“Yes! It would be nice if we met here to discuss developments.”

Chaeyoung smiled, turning the handle. “I’d love that.” Jaehee’s smile widened, and she switched off the lights before walking into the street, Chaeyoung following. As she left, she wondered how many more times they’d get to close these doors, stepping out together into the night. She couldn’t fathom the number, and it made her heart race.

“HAVE YOU DECIDED WHAT YOU wanted to watch?” asked a soft voice behind her. Chaeyoung, who was swaying while taking in Jaehee’s extensive DVD collection, twisted to find her huddled into a corner of the couch with her knees pressed to her chest, looking impossibly tiny to be the same girl who had rambled an entire business plan not an hour prior. It made her laugh. 

“I’d like some help in choosing, honestly,” she said, turning back to the rack. “You’ve got an admirable collection here… the options are infinite.”

“Yes, well,” Jaehee said, getting up from her spot. “It is my pride and joy, and where I go when I just want to destress for a bit.”

Chaeyoung hummed, stepping aside to give Jaehee space as she trailed thin, tender fingers across the DVDs as if reading the energy to find the right one for the night. Her eyes asked the same question. “What are you in the mood for? We could do a romantic comedy for something light, or…” there was a sort of mischievous grin on her face, which made Chaeyoung’s brows raise. “We could watch something a bit… heavier.”

_Oh, alright_ … An idea made its way to Chaeyoung’s head and she perked up. “What’s the most wack, off-the-rails musical you have here?”

Jaehee couldn’t help her snort, and Chaeyoung couldn’t help the way her waist tingled at how soft the sound was. “That would be _Jalapeño_ ,” Jaehee said, cheeks slightly red in what Chaeyoug assumed was embarrassment. Considering the movie’s content, it was fair enough. 

“Let’s go with that one then. I’ve been meaning to watch it anyways,” Chaeyoung said as she plopped down on the couch. It disrupted the blanket draped over it. 

“Then why didn’t you say that one in the first place?” Jaehee jested, taking out the DVD and crouching to put it in. 

Chaeyoung blinked, having not considered that before. “I don’t know,” she shrugged, “guess I saw how many options I had and panicked for a bit.”

Jaehee turned to look at her and shake her head as if to say “you’re unbelievable,” but Chaeyoung could swear it was honey that was dripping from her eyes. Playful scolding was not her strong suit, it seemed.

But then, Jaehee got up a tad too abruptly, almost hitting her leg with the coffee table in the process. “I’ll go get the wine,” she started, before stopping at the kitchen threshold. “Wait. Do you like wine? Or do you prefer something else…” Her voice weakened as she went on. “God, I should have asked you before I--”

“No no, It’s fine,” Chaeyoung cut her off. “And I love wine.” She wasn’t necessarily the greatest wine enthusiast. Her mother had an affinity for it so she used to drink it with her, and while the flavor of the drink was never bitter, the memories attached to it were. But there was always space for new memories to be made, and this was Jaehee, after all. Chaeyoung doubted she could ever refuse her anything.

“Excellent,” she said, voice back to her usual excited pitch. When she emerged from the kitchen, she was holding two larger-than-usual glasses and a bottle of red wine. “I’ve never met anyone fond enough of wine to share a bottle with… I mean, there was Jumin, but you can imagine how that went.”

Oh, she could. In her book, drinking with your boss wasn’t the most exciting of prospects, though she couldn’t help her curiosity. “You guys used to drink together?”

“It happened twice, perhaps,” she said, carefully sitting down. “Usually after he offered a bottle he’d brought from a business trip and I accepted out of courtesy. Wouldn’t say it was entertaining, though. Both of us are too heavyweight to let loose, and I’m glad it’s that way, honestly. It would be too embarrassing if I’d ever been truly inebriated around him.”

“I can imagine,” Chaeyoung offered, thinking maybe wine would be the thing to make the upcoming resumé sorting meeting less tedious on both of them. She hadn’t foreseen Jumin inviting Jaehee to help too, though it did make sense. She was more worried about whatever storm would inevitably brew when they spoke face to face again and was already mentally preparing herself to handle whatever mess resulted, as well as thinking about ways to prevent said mess from happening. Good wine could be one. “Well, I hope I'm a more pleasant company, then.”

“Oh, you already are,” Jaehee said, facing her. “Seriously, I’ve never met some who… understood me so easily before.”

“Oh… Maybe we are soulmates,” Chaeyoung said. It was meant as a joke, but Jaehee’s face got subtly pink. Chaeyoung found herself feeling a little proud, despite herself.

“I would not be opposed to the idea,” Jaehee said as if she were actually considering it. Chaeyoung took the time to do the same. It didn’t take her long to conclude that if soulmates were a real thing then Jaehee would no doubt be one of hers. And it didn’t take a lot to figure that out, either. Even in those early phone call conversations, in that one spontaneous late-night detour after Jaehee had been fired, Chaeyoung had felt like she was talking to an old friend, a lover from a past life she’d now reencountered by chance. She didn’t know how long this would last, she saw this as one of those friendships that endure through lifetimes. Those you can’t picture your life without. This is the first time she realized how… empty the idea of losing Jaehee made her feel, even if she’d spent twenty-four years of her life without her. Had she been missing so much? 

It didn’t matter, because now that she’d found that which she didn’t know she needed, she didn’t want to let go any time soon, and she was sure Jaehee felt the same way. The thought filled her with this calm reassurance, like a shelter on a stormy night.

A wave of calm, of pleasantness overcame her, and she found herself wanting to stay in this moment forever-- the yellow lights illuminating the exposed brick wall, wine wafting in the air with Jaehee next to her, just close enough to reach, and the sound of the musical’s overture-- nothing else mattered beyond these walls that held the two of them. 

The movie was, to Chaeyoung’s pleasant surprise, not as terrible as the reviews made it out to be. Sure, the plot and dialogue were weird, but the soundtrack was very catchy and the choreography was simply spectacular, action-packed with jumps and turns and flips across the stage. The actors were all stellar too, each of them managing to make something out of the ridiculous story. Zen especially stood out because of how real his character felt, with his noble quest to mediate a fight between two rival gangs that held his best friend and his lover, even when those gangs were composed of literal vegetables.

When she mentioned this to Jaehee, it was as if she’d unlocked a secret compartment in her brain where all of her Zen thoughts were stored, and she started dropping every single one of them as the movie went on, being specifically fixated on Zen’s facial expressions during the infamous “locked up” scene (where Chaeyoung had to admit his ab muscles were spectacular, no doubt product of hours of workouts and what had to be blessed genetics). Chaeyoung didn’t mind the rambles, she found them quite endearing and insightful, when she’d start to go off about the musical motifs and how they changed as the characters developed and how they showed the relationships between different characters, and Chaeyoung was half drunk by this point and so was Jaehee and it was all just words to her, but the sound of them was almost as sweet as the music, so she let her continue. 

By the time the movie was over, they were definitely drunk and Chaeyoung was sore from that one time she got up to try to recreate the choreography, which had sent Jaehee into a fit of laughter that lasted a good two minutes. Chaeyoung didn’t expect Jaehee to be the type to snort when laughing, but there she was, face red from the embarrassment and the alcohol, and then it was Chaeyoung’s turn to break into giggles that were cut short when Jaehee offhandedly said her laugh was “ _melodic, like church bells in a morning._ ” She just stood there, speechless, not knowing what to make of the unexpected compliment.

Carefully sitting back down, she reached for her phone to check whatever was on the RFA chatroom. Nothing extraordinary, only Zen and Yoosung talking about Zen’s script (Seven suggested Zen practice his romance lines with Yoosung to get the tone right or something and he refused more times than necessary), and Seven dropping mildly concerning jokes about whatever was going on at work. Chaeyoung debated going on the RFAU chat, which had been empty the whole day, to ask him how everything was going but was she in a state to have a coherent conversation right now? The way her eyes hyper-focused on the words on her phone while still failing to make sense of them was answer enough.

“So,” Jaehee’s voice brought her back into focus. “Do we watch another? Or…”

“Uhh…” Chaeyoung eyed the movie rack, not being able to read any label. Her mind was hazy, and the only thing she wanted to do right now was calm down the grumble that had suddenly invaded her stomach. With a gasp, she realized, “we haven’t eaten.”

Jaehee furrowed her brows, confused at Chaeyoung’s urgency. “And? What time is it?”

Chaeyoung held her phone up. It was 10:43, and she had to leave this place sooner or later (though the idea didn’t make her feel good in the slightest, she was quite enjoying her time here). That made Jaehee finally mirror her shock, a hand flying up to her mouth. “We forgot the food…” she mumbled, blinking as she tried to figure out what to do. “We _totally_ forgot about the food, oh my god, we should have done that before the wine, I…” She turned to face Chaeyoung, who was holding back laughter. 

“No wonder we’re nearly wasted after what… two glasses?” It had been something like that, though it sure felt like more. It didn’t matter much to her, she was still having a better time than she’d had in months, drinking and laughing and dancing with someone who got her so well. 

But Jaehee wasn’t faring so well, now on her feet and holding on to the couch for dear life, still losing her mind over the food, which Chaeyoung now found kind of concerning. “I’m not usually like this, what the hell…”

“Relax, we were just having our fun with the movie,” Chaeyoung said, putting a hand to her wrist. She didn’t tense this time. Jaehee nodded and Chaeyoung doubted if her consolation did anything, she seemed more confused at herself than anything else. She still breathed out a “Right…” before slowly going to the kitchen to get the sushi. Chaeyoung decided to follow her, there was no way the food would make it out safe if she was barely able to stand. 

With quick teamwork (Jaehee carried the sushi box with both hands, and Chaeyoung who was somehow stable, took care of the sauce packets), they made it to the dining table, a large wood slab surrounded by windows. They opened the box, which had five different sushi varieties arranged in rows that made the perfectionist inside Chaeyoung blush, and set to eating. Their drunken hands were not cooperating with the chopsticks, so they decided to screw formalities and eat the sushi bites by hand while they talked about everything and nothing. There was some talk about Jaehee’s apartment when Chaeyoung complimented the decor, modern and lathered with earth tones. Apparently Jaehee had managed to buy it with her savings not too long ago. Chaeyoung raised her brows at this, shocked that a 26-year-old could own an apartment in this city’s insane real estate market. Once again, a chill ran up her spine when trying to imagine exactly how large her salary was. The more she learned about the woman, the more that number went up, but her mind was not lucid enough to dwell on that right now, so instead she brought her attention to the unexpected details of the place. The copper coffee table. The exposed brick wall where the TV was. The overly large dining table (which, to Jaehee’s defense, was useful when working). 

“I guess I like details that stand out,” she said between bites, “it’s a nice break in the monotony.”

“I like it too,” said Chaeyoung, dipping a sushi piece in soy sauce. A vegetable piece fell out. “Makes the place more interesting. And I think it reflects you as a person too, mellow but with surprising standouts. I seem to like you more the more I find.” She definitely wouldn’t be this vocal if she was sober, and Jaehee wouldn’t be as flustered, hiding a giggle with her hand.

“I wonder what your house looks like,” Jaehee said once she’d recovered. “I guess it’ll be as charming as you are.”

Chaeyoung’s brows raised, and she covered her mouth in a mock ‘oh my god.’ She couldn’t tell if Jaehee was attempting something with her words if she even knew what she was saying. Was it playful flirting or just her way of complimenting? She seemed to say it without any intention… “I’ll let you figure that out yourself,” she said, electing to let it go. 

Jaehee, for her part, didn’t. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “I’d love to,” she whispered, and Chaeyoung once again found herself confused. She studied her face; cheeks tinted with a drunken flush, amber eyes open and elsewhere, mouth in a pleasant smile. She couldn’t figure out what she was imagining, couldn’t figure _her_ out at all. Jaehee never seemed like the affectionate type, rather the one to keep everyone close to her at arm’s length, which was perfect for Chaeyoung, who was quite detached herself. But it seemed like her boundaries disappeared into thin air the moment she let loose, and now Chaeyoung didn’t know what to do. Kang Jaehee, ever the enigma, retreated tightly and suddenly, as if her consciousness had returned to her body. 

Chaeyoung was getting tired of letting go of her curiosities, one day she would have to give in. But not right now, when neither of them were ready. After all, they’d only barely scratched the surface. Chaeyoung breathed in, asking herself _when._ She breathed out, replying _in its correct time_. She was glad then that patience was her greatest virtue when it came to relationships. 

“It’s nearly midnight,” said a disappointed voice to her right. Chaeyoung hummed, turning to find Jaehee typing something on her phone. She turned her gaze to Chaeyoung. “You… must leave soon, I suppose?” Her tone was devoid of emotion, one Chaeyoung associated with their first few calls, but her face betrayed her feigned disinterest, with lips pursed in a frown. 

Yes, she did. She didn’t want to deal with the prices (and the dangers) of late night Mubers, so she had to leave now if she wanted to make it home safe, but… she didn’t want to go home. Not to the stale apartment and its cameras. Its eerie silence. The feeling that she was being watched, which she seemed to get now every second she was there. No… she wanted to stay here, in the warm lights and the sweet wine, and the company she’d ached for for so long. 

Her silence worried Jaehee. “Do you have a way to go back? I can take you there if you…” she trailed off, realizing that no, no she could not. Seven would flip if she found out where the apartment was. And Chaeyoung knew she was still not sober enough to drive. 

Chaeyoung licked her lips, as every second passed in silence fogged her mind further. She didn’t want to leave, but it would be improper to ask to stay, so her mind looked for excuses. Every plan she carried out in her mind seemed to fail, and she was left with the naked truth of what she wanted to do, which felt like too much, and what she needed to do, which just made her scream “no” in her mind. In the end, the truth was her only choice. “Would it be strange to say that…” she trailed lightly, “I’d rather spend the night here?”

Jaehee’s eyes widened, and the corners of her lips perked up the slightest bit. Once again, she was trying to keep her cool facade with her voice. “No… we could do that,” she said, and Chaeyoung realized it was perhaps what she wanted to hear. It relaxed her a little. 

Jaehee opened her mouth, but Chaeyoung cut her off. “I’ll sleep on the couch then, I guess.”

Her mouth shut, and her eyes jumped from the hallway to the couch. “Sure,” she said. “I’ll go bring a blanket for you, and do you need pajamas or anything?”

“Yes, please,” Chaeyoung said, and Jaehee started walking toward her room, when Chaeyoung stopped her. “Wait.” A thought occurred to her. “What were you going to say earlier?”

There was a pause before she replied. “Nothing.” Her tight-lipped smile said otherwise, but Chaeyoung decided not to press, and instead returned the smile with a nod.

Jaehee returned not a minute later with a grey blanket and some clothes and set them aside on a chair. Now, they could kill all the time they wanted, so they decided to watch another film and drink what was left of the wine. Chaeyoung decided on _Hell Note_ upon seeing the (excellently designed) promotional poster hanging on Jaehee’s wall, among other film posters and Playbills. 

“Excellent choice. This one’s fun, but very emotional,” Jaehee said, retiring the DVD from the rack. She gasped suddenly, which almost made Chaeyoung jump. “I just remembered, someone on Tripter made a drinking game for this film. What if we try it out?”

Chaeyoung grinned. She’d always wanted to play one of those. “Let’s do it.”

THE NIGHT HAD TURNED OUT more pleasantly than expected, and Jaehee found herself satisfied, despite everything. Yes, she may have forgotten the food and gotten a bit too drunk (which, despite trusting Chaeyoung, it was still embarrassing considering they met so little ago) and said things without thinking them through (something she was only able to do with Chaeyoung, it seemed), but it was one of the best nights Jaehee's had in a while. She’d been more excited than expected when Chaeyoung announced she wanted to stay, she had to admit she didn’t want her to leave, either. She simply didn’t want this silly, disinterested fun, with music and wine and laughter to end. She’d longed for so long for a night like this one. The wait was worth it. 

This second round of movies and drinks had somehow been twice as messy as the first, as Jaehee found the drinking challenge was more ridiculous than she expected, and Chaeyoung had the genius idea to move on to stronger stuff, so they opened this gin bottle that had been stored in Jaehee’s cabinet, a “souvenir” Jumin had brought from a business trip to London last year. It felt symbolic, almost, to drink it at this moment, with the girl that had inspired Jaehee to finally leave, dancing to the songs she thought about whenever she felt like she was about to sink. Now, she knew she’d never feel like sinking anymore.

The gin was sweet, and it rose fast. Soon, Jaehee was giving a full-on concert of the villain’s solo to Chaeyoung, who was cheering to the top of her lungs, shocked that Jaehee would have a side like this. The only other person who was aware of it was Seven (from a tragic security camera incident), but she was not afraid to show all of her sides to Chaeyoung, especially the wilder ones. Those had been kept in for way too long. The high note of the song came, and Jaehee sat on one of the chairs with her legs to the back, imitating the upside-down position the character was singing in. Her drunk body was rotundly rejecting it, though, so she recovered quickly, and pulled Chaeyoung in for the duet part, which she happened to know, and it filled Jaehee with joy. 

And for the first time, she was not scared. Of this closeness, of this release, of red locks being so close to her face that she wouldn't know what to do. It was as if all the complicated _why_ s and _what if_ s that plagued her mind every time Chaeyoung was brought up were gone, and she was left with the simple feeling of just _living_. Maybe this was what people were talking about when preaching about enjoying life, maybe this was the life poets sang about. 

It wasn’t even halfway through the movie when they were officially wasted, dizzy and tired beyond comprehension, slumping back in the couch like it was the softest cloud. Jaehee just prayed she wouldn’t need to vomit (that would be embarrassing… and strange), so she focused all her attention on the story Chaeyoung was telling about the time her classmates made her biology teacher sing karaoke, which was strangely more interesting than the movie itself. She’d seen it a million times before, after all, but this was the first time she could spend so much time with Chaeyoung, making up for all those moments where she would come to mind in the middle of anything, and Jaehee would wonder what she was doing, how she was feeling, craving her company or just the sound of her voice. 

She wouldn’t have to crave anymore, it seemed.

Jaehee didn’t know how much time had passed from then to now, when the movie was at its climax, and the boom of the music was the only sound in the room. She couldn’t recall when Chaeyoung had stopped talking and dozed off, head resting uncomfortably on her elbow which was inches away from Jaehee’s face, and though she wasn’t close enough, she could still feel shivers in her skin whenever she breathed. It was both thrilling and relaxing, pushing Jaehee further into her slumber while still fresh and oddly electric. Proximity had always been a strange thing for her, always felt more like an invasion, but Chaeyoung’s proximity was welcomed. Grounding, even. 

Her thoughts might have summoned the girl closer, because, in a smooth shift, her head was resting on Jaehee’s shoulder, and she could truly _feel_ her warm breaths this time. Forget the slumber, this was wholly electrifying. Somehow. The softness of her hair, auburn and silky, was almost caressing Jaehee’s exposed skin, and the way she leaned into her, so _relaxed_ … it triggered something in Jaehee’s heart, and she prayed Chaeyoung was asleep enough to not hear how hard it suddenly was to control her breathing, to let herself relax. But relaxing would feel like giving in… giving in to what? Jaehee didn’t know, didn’t understand anything at all. Why would someone leaning on her shoulder fluster her like this? Sure, that someone was Min Chaeyoung… her friend. Why would she feel like this over a _friend_ leaning on her? That was supposed to be normal, right?

Once again, Jaehee was overwhelmed by the uncertainty of her feelings, trying and failing to find a definition to what this sensation was, which soothed her like a balm and overwhelmed her like a tide on a storm, made her focus and lose focus, made her blossom wide in her mind whenever Chaeyoung was around. And what bothered her wasn’t that she was _feeling_ , but that she could not, for the life of her, figure out what she was feeling. She’d said earlier that she’d figure it out as time went along. But it’s only growing stronger, and she had no doubt it would soon consume her if she couldn’t figure out how the hell to deal with it. 

Suddenly her mind went back to what Chaeyoung had said earlier, when she was almost jumping with excitement at the café: ‘ _there’s nothing to worry about yet. Let’s not complicate ourselves._ ’ She had been right. There was no need to complicate it further. Actually, it might be better to simplify it. Let whatever this was flow, and simply feel-- without worrying about what it meant. The tides didn’t have to be controlled all the time, sometimes one just had to let them be. Close your eyes, and feel the wind as it carries you forward. Focus on the moment. And this moment-- with the moon bathing the room, alcohol clouding her senses, calm music playing through the speakers and a soft body pressed against hers-- felt good. Perhaps that was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u so much for reading!! please tell me what you thought of the chapter, opinions suggestions etc etc  
> man writing abt two girls with a crush who Dont Know They Have A Crush is. exhausting tbh like just kiss ffs........ but it that's just the wlw experience yk. i decided to not put any chats on here and tbh i rly like it that way so i might keep doing that who knows....  
> also if u wanna talk here's my [tumblr](https://kangjaehee.tumblr.com) hehe


	6. Slow Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jaehee tries to teach chaeyoung how to use a hand mill but fails to consider that She Is Gay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyyyy long time no see ahaha
> 
> so i've had a LOT going on (graduated hs, took the sat, now i have to think of what i wanna do with my life) hence the very very delayed update, but here's this thing!! idk how i like it honestly I'm just glad i managed to finish it, but i rly hope u enjoy it!! tell me what u thought if u did :)

CHAEYOUNG AWOKE TO AGGRESSIVE SUNLIGHT streaming out the window and the unmistakable sound of coffee beans being ground. For a second it was as if she was nineteen again, doing her morning shift at the college café, watching over boiling tapioca pearls. But in reality, she was twenty-five and had just spent the night at the apartment of someone she’d known for two weeks. Looking back, she’d never spent the night at anyone’s, at least not alone… Unless she was dating them, which made this stranger than it already was. But her staying the night had also been completely incidental, a product of too much wine and too much fun of the kind she associated with middle school sleepovers, something she never got to experience until now. She’d never had friends to sing and dance until the break of dawn with, never had someone she could talk to for hours without getting tired. Jaehee was, in many ways, a first. 

It was not the first time though, that she was painfully hungover. Taking shots of straight gin had been a terrible idea, and now her head was threatening to split open as a punishment and her limbs felt unusually heavy. Excellent. She’d better ask Jaehee for aspirin if she wanted to get anything done. 

So, she dragged herself to the kitchen, almost tripping over the clearly queen-sized blanket. Jaehee was leaning on a counter near the window, the morning light bathing her in an almost ethereal glow. Chaeyoung didn’t have to announce her presence for her to notice her, as Jaehee quickly looked up from her phone, eyes widening as she recognized a half-asleep Chaeyoung leaning on the threshold. 

“Hey,” she said with a smile, which dropped as soon as she met Chaeyoung’s eyes. “Are you alright? You look like a mess.”

_And you look amazing, somehow._ “Hangover,” was all she could say. She had no doubt her hair was forming whatever shape it wanted atop her head and her clothes were pulling at weird places. Overalls were not meant to be slept on. It was a stark contrast to Jaehee, with short hair slightly curling as if just-washed and skin glowing under the sunlight. 

“Oh, right…” she nodded. “Do you need anything to take care of that? I have a packet of vitamins if you’d like.”

“Do you have aspirins?”

“Yes, they’re…” she moved over to a shelf right outside the kitchen to retrieve them. “Right here.”

Chaeyoung popped two pills in and downed them with a glass of water. “You don’t look so bad.,” she observed. 

“Oh, believe me, it takes a _lot_ to get me to that state,” Jaehee shrugged, a small smile on her lips. 

“Must be nice,” Chaeyoung said, briefly imagining a life without the embarrassing side effects of alcohol. 

“I suppose.”

They stood in silence at opposite sides of the kitchen. Chaeyoung drank another long gulp of water, felt her head pulse. Jaehee was studying her, she could tell. 

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, actually. Your couch is more comfortable than Rika’s, that’s for sure.” Part of her wished they could move on from this small talk into something else, but the other part, the one that had wasted itself last night, was comfortable in the silence. It was peaceful. Then, she remembered something. “Wait, did you put the blanket over me last night?”

Jaehee’s cheeks flushed as she swallowed her water. “You fell asleep hard right on my shoulder, so, yes.” Her tone was an attempt at cool but her smile revealed her intentions. Chaeyoung nodded, slightly amused at the act. It was a bit cute, how she was so nervous about such a simple gesture. But considering how she’d been yesterday, if Chaeyoung noted that, Jaehee might just explode, so she decided to move the conversation to other topics.

The chatroom came up. They spoke of Yoosung’s newfound study motivation (product of the “prank” Seven had pulled before the party), Zen’s cast drama and their anticipation for his newest show (Jaehee gave the widest smile Chaeyoung had ever seen on a person when she brought it up, and she decided she wanted to see it more often, it felt the same as the sunlight outside), Seven’s general annoyance and growing crypticness, and the plans for the new party. When Jaehee asked Chaeyoung how that was going, she had to make up something about getting her life back in order. She wasn’t going to tell her the real reason why she hadn’t started working on the party was that she was still against it, with the Mint Eye investigation going. She had to bite her tongue, remind herself Jaehee was not supposed to know. It formed a rock of guilt in her gut.

To Chaeyoung’s surprise, Jaehee wasn’t mad at Jumin for setting her birthday as the party date, though she did prefer not to be taking care of a charity party on her birthday.

“It’s a bit annoying, but he probably had a good reason,” she said as she reached for coffee beans, tiptoeing to reach a spot Chaeyoung could easily reach without help. 

“Perhaps,” Chaeyoung said. “At the time I thought it was a bit inconsiderate… and maybe petty, considering everything going on between you two, but it’s good that you’re cool with it.”

Jaehee seemed to be considering Chaeyoung’s point of view for a second, stopping in her tracks and casting her eyes down, but she quickly recovered and shrugged. “Yes, well… if he’s seeking to annoy me he should try harder. He knows better than anyone I don’t mind working on special occasions.”

Chaeyoung wondered if that’s why he had suggested the date in the first place. Was she intruding too much again? “I think giving you the cat for a weekend will do it.”

Jaehee turned sharply at that, eyes wide and face pale, to find a smug Chaeyoung, twirling with a strand of her hair to hide the fact she was actually intimidated. The memories of the cat and her excessive hair were still too vivid in Jaehee’s mind. 

“If he does that, I will not hesitate to dropkick him.” She certainly looked like it, which made Chaeyoung laugh. “Seriously. I have nothing to hold me back now.” Her voice was getting higher and Chaeyoung noticed the force with which she was setting up the hand mill. So, she was making coffee almost from scratch… was it an everyday thing or just because she was here?

“Calm down… it’s not like I’m giving him ideas,” she said, going over to place a hand over Jaehee’s wrist to soothe her. This time, she didn’t flinch, and Chaeyoung realized the gesture was quite forward, coming from her. _Have we grown closer?_

The color had returned to Jaehee’s cheeks, but her stare was still deadly. “Do not, please.” She was possibly trying to intimidate Chaeyoung into never giving Jumin a suggestion ever with her stare. And though she wasn’t even planning on doing so, it was working. So, she removed her hand with a small laugh. 

“I’ve always wanted to know how these things work,” Chaeyoung said, leaning her palm on the counter. 

“Oh, it’s pretty straightforward, actually,” Jaehee straightened. “You pour the beans into this bowl-like thing and turn the handle, they’ll grind into a fine powder that’s collected in this little compartment here,” she explained, indicating everything with her hands. If Chaeyoung was honest, her hands were much more interesting than the object they were describing. She found herself studying them, observing the way the light hit them, slightly shadowing the many veins on the back of her palm and tracing her long, slender fingers, which moved sharply across the hand mill’s surface, almost mechanically at work as if they wanted to bend the light that surrounded them. Chaeyoung decided she would attempt to draw them later. 

“Do you want to try?” Jaehee’s voice brought her back to the moment. 

She figured she might as well. “How hard can it be?” She rolled her sleeves up and set her hands to the sides of the mill, as Jaehee moved over to look just right over her shoulder. Chaeyoung shivered when she felt how close she was, tried to remember what she’d just learned. She couldn’t recall much past the hands.

“You have to add the beans first,” a hand pointed to her left. 

_Oh, right._ Slightly embarrassed, she took the bag and poured it softly until the bowl was halfway full with beans. Then, she went over to turn the handle as indicated, gripping it and pushing it away from herself, but it wouldn’t give. Confused, she applied more force, having to hold the whole mill tightly so as not to push it away. Still, it was stuck. 

“It has to be turned counter-clockwise,” a voice, lower than she was used to, breathed behind her. Fingers, thin and strong and slightly damp wrapped around hers, guiding the handle in the right direction. Jaehee’s chin was on Chaeyoung’s shoulder, observing with brows slightly crossed as Chaeyoung eventually found the right amount of pressure, and the grinding sound began once again. It was quite satisfying, to grind by hand, to know that the small, coarse ground beans were her doing as opposed to a machine’s. She’d also rather enjoyed the way Jaehee’s fingers pressed against hers, almost regretted when she took them away. It had felt safe, somehow. Comfortable. The intimacy of the scene— preparing breakfast together, close enough to feel each other’s warmth— was strangely comfortable for her. She was glad for it. 

They decided to prepare the coffee using a french press. Chaeyoung watched silently as Jaehee set the kettle to boil, lost herself in the sound as the hangover wore off and her senses went back to their full function. The silence continued as she poured the warm water into the press, watched as the ground beans infused it, then pressed them down slowly with almost mathematical precision, with a timing she’d perfected over many years and coffee orders from her grandmother. 

Now, Jaehee was the one watching mesmerized as her partner worked. Even if it was a simple task (though the french press could be difficult to get just right), like everything else Chaeyoung seemed to do, it was colored with this special something that entranced her completely. She didn’t have to taste the coffee to know it was good, that it was made with the right intent.

The coffee was mild yet flavorful, and simultaneously checking the chatroom made the moment better. Zen and Yoosung, the only other people online, were glad they got to spend time together and wanted to spend time with Chaeyoung too, but Yoosung was surprised that they’d grown close to each other so quickly, enough to stay over at each other’s homes. Jaehee and Chaeyoung guessed that was the case, though they didn’t see it as that big of a deal. It wasn’t uncommon for girls to do, anyway. Zen said to invite him next time, and Jaehee said she’d think about it. At that, Chaeyoung gave her a look. 

“Do you think he’d want to be a witness to your passionate solo performance of ‘Fly Away’, or… any Hell Note song, for that matter?” she said with a playful smile. 

Jaehee’s eyes widened as if she’d just been exposed, and she pursed her lips. “Well, I told him I’d think on it…” she pauses, then quickly turned to Chaeyoung, “Unless, like, you don’t feel that comfortable with him here, I mean I’d love to have more nights like these with just us and I don’t know about you--”

“I think it could be fun sometime,” Chaeyoung said before Jaehee could talk herself into a hole. “And I’d also love to do this again… I don’t know when, though.” She hoped it was soon, but then the Mint Eye business came into her mind. She briefly wondered if she’d get to make a single plan in peace before that was settled. It really was becoming a nuisance to hide. 

Her words brought a smile to Jaehee’s lips. It was a wonderful thought to have, that she’d get to have a night like yesterday, perhaps many, many more. Her chest warmed at the idea. 

But her joy was quickly killed by Chaeyoung picking up her phone. “Oh my god… it’s almost noon, I should get going,” she said with regret. “I have quite the list of things to do today, I’m sorry, if not for that then I would’ve stayed longer.”

“No, by all means, leave,” Jaehee said, not wanting to come across as keeping her for too long but afraid of sounding like she was kicking her out. “You’re probably really busy with the guests and all anyways, so…”

Chaeyoung nodded, going over to grab the small backpack of essentials she’d brought. “I’m trying to resend invitations to have a small list.”

“That sounds excellent. You’re quite organized,” Jaehee said, “If you need help with anything just give me a call or message me… you already know.” It’s not like she didn’t tell Chaeyoung the same thing… merely two weeks ago. 

“I think I have the hang of it this time, so don’t worry about that. I believe I can handle myself.”

For some reason, that fact disheartened Jaehee. Perhaps Chaeyoung believed she’d been too obnoxious the last time around-- which she had, but it was through those many calls about how to reply to guests and write invites that they’d gotten so familiar with each other. Perhaps Jaehee was scared of losing that bond, even though they had so much more that brought them together now. Hesitant, she tried to confirm that. “We’ll see each other soon, I suppose?”

“Of course!” Chaeyoung said, as if obvious. “We have to get started on the ideas for that café anyway, so I suppose we’ll meet sometime around the week.”

She was right. They had so much more now. “Alright, I’ll talk to you to coordinate that.”

“Alright,” Chaeyoung said, giving the apartment one last glance, “I’ll see you around.”

She opened the door with a goodbye, and Jaehee sent her off with a wave, leaning on the threshold. It was now all over, finally… and it hadn’t been half bad. She wished she could visit the Jaehee of yesterday, tell her not to worry about trivial things, that she’d get to enjoy herself for once.

Jaehee closed the door, and her eyes immediately caught on the mess around the couch: pillows on the floor, an empty gin bottle between them, a blanket draping. Footprints from the night before that she’d have to clean sometime today. She wasn’t looking forward to it that much, but not because she didn’t enjoy cleaning up, it was quite relaxing for her sometimes… Maybe she wanted to hold on to the moment a little longer, to Chaeyoung’s warmth and energy that had colored her space so vividly. Maybe she didn’t want to go back to the emptiness her apartment usually had. 

RIKA’S APARTMENT WAS SURELY A STARK CONTRAST to whatever Jaehee had going on, Chaeyoung realized as soon as she crossed the threshold into steel and leather and polished wood, square glass tables, and a wide window with a single curtain to block the light. This place was stale and cold, even when sunlight bathed it, as it only highlighted its hard edges. She’d never liked it here. She’d never liked how this place was a facade, hiding a secret in plain sight. Chaeyoung was never good at uncovering things, and that not knowing used to unsettle her. Now, what unsettled her was being so close to uncovering the truth. 

On her first days, she’d convinced herself she’d one day get used to the secrecy. She’d leave it to Seven and V, do her part in planning the party and it’d all be fine. She needn’t worry about secrets that didn’t concern her, she barely knew who these people were. Of course, back then she didn’t expect to be involved so… deeply with the RFA as she was now. She’d intended to keep her distance at first, it’d be stupid to immediately trust a group she knew absolutely nothing about, but, well, the results had been different, and now here she was, wrapped up in the uncomfortable knot of Kim Rika’s secrets. fearful of what could be hiding on every single cabinet. 

It was so unlike Jaehee’s apartment, where she’d felt calm and safe for the first time in weeks (ironic, considering she was under 24-hour surveillance and only three people knew the code to her door, the chances of anything bad happening to her were minimal). There was nothing hidden, nothing left to decipher. It was so very _Jaehee_ in every way possible, with the film posters on the walls and the couches packed with pillows. That place was alive, it was hers. This apartment, on the other hand, could belong to anyone. It could as well be a model unit from those modern interior design magazines with awful setups. Maybe it had been Rika’s once, but now it was no one. And it would never be Chaeyoung’s. 

She’d have to find a way out of here whenever the whole Mint Eye bullshit is over, hopefully to her old place if she isn’t evicted from overdue rent first. She prayed that’d happen soon. 

With a sigh, she swallowed her doubts. They wouldn’t be any good to her once she got to work and she was hoping to deal with most of her party related things today. She scourged her laptop from its usual spot under the bed and sat at the dining table, where she had quite a nice view of the city. It appeased her a little. 

She went through her to-do list rather quickly, responding to emails with the template she had in her mind and making note of the many deposit numbers she’d have to check and charities she’d have to contact. Though money and its distribution was never something exciting for her, going through the list of this party’s donations and previewing where they’d be directed was rather… satisfying. She was doing something good, something that went beyond herself. And, despite that being the goal of a charity fundraiser in the first place, it was an easy thing to forget amidst all of the chaos that seemed to permanently surround the RFA. 

It was better now, thankfully. The chatroom had had no intermissions for the past week, and everyone had settled into this new peaceful rhythm. But Chaeyoung couldn’t help but feel this was nothing but the calm before another storm. A recess. 

Chaeyoung has entered the chatroom

Yoosung: Finance classes are the worst T_T

Yoosung: Why is money so complicated in the first place?? It’s literally just a bunch of pieces of paper.

707: That bunch of pieces of paper controls ur life lol

Kang Jaehee: Luciel’s correct

707: EVERYTHING is money

Yoosung: I knowwwww T_T

707: Which is why u need to be rich as hell so U can control the world

707: :glasses:

Kang Jaehee: :sighemoji:

Chaeyoung: Funny that you guys are talking about this right when I’m distributing the party money

Yoosung: Oh!! Hi Chaeyoung

707: That’s because we’re spying u, Chaeyoung

Chaeyoung: Don’t remind me, Seven…

Chaeyoung: :eyeroll:

Chaeyoung: And hello Yoosung

Kang Jaehee: Chaeyoung… You’re here

Chaeyoung: I am :)

Kang Jaehee: :happyemoji:

Kang Jaehee: If you need help with dealing with the money, I can do it. 

Chaeyoung: It’s fine. I can handle it. 

Chaeyoung: Still, thank you.

Kang Jaehee: :happyemoji:

Kang Jaehee: No problem. 

Kang Jaehee: I’ve also been doing accounting today… budgeting for the bakery.

Chaeyoung: Oh! How’s that going?

Kang Jaehee: It’s…

Kang Jaehee: I’ll call you about it later. 

Chaeyoung: Okay

Chaeyoung shifted a little in her seat. That was somewhat ominous… and “I’ll call you later”s never put her at ease, but she didn’t think it could be anything major if it was about the bakery.

707: Money money money…

707: We are enslaved by money

Kang Jaehee: You’re not wrong

707: But if you hack the bank….. you then CONTROL the money 

707: :glasses:

Kang Jaehee: :sighemoji:

Kang Jaehee: I’d prefer to do things that wouldn’t get me arrested, thank you

Yoosung: :cryingemoji:

707: In order to win at life

707: u have to control that which controls u 

Chaeyoung: Smart, yet near impossible. 

Kang Jaehee: ...I was going to ask you if you’ve also gotten that quote from a book

Kang Jaehee: But upon reading it again I’m certain you just made it up. 

Chaeyoung: Lmao

707: Can’t remember where i got it from lolol

707: But it is true so

707: :shrug:

Chaeyoung: And do you control what controls you, seven?

707: :cryingemoji:

707: no….

707: I should do that tho

707: brb thinking of ways to control Ms. Vanderwood

Yoosung: Wait

Yoosung: Why would his maid control him?

Chaeyoung: :question:

Chaeyoung: I have no idea honestly

Kang Jaehee: He’s indeed strange.

Yoosung: Still it’s good that he has the possibility…

Yoosung: I couldn’t control school if I tried

Yoosung: :cryingemoji:

Yoosung: :cryingemoji:

Kang Jaehee: Yoosung…

Kang Jaehee: I took macroeconomics for three semesters in college. If you need help, I’d be glad to explain it to you.

Yoosung: :shockemoji:

Yoosung: Really??????!

Kang Jaehee: Yes.

Chaeyoung was in the middle of writing her own response, an “I could help too, though my forté is microeconomics…” when her screen blinked before green text started rapidly flashing through it. The shock made her drop her phone and her body froze at the all-too-familiar glitch.

_Not again…_

She looked away, expecting to let the glitch pass and go back to the chatroom as if nothing happened (she’d have a chat about this with Seven after, though), but when she turned back, she was met with a fully hacked chatroom, the code now as the background and only one person online besides her: Unknown.

Unknown: $i--- %IA))M=

Unknown: $=I a@Am* $t!ill__??

Unknown: ==h!He*=_r?%e

The glitch was back as soon as the messages finished coming, and Chaeyoung was left paralyzed, blinking to assimilate what she’d just witnessed. 

_I am still here._

Unknown was back. Well, he hadn’t really left in the first place, which, having a semi-clear picture of what was going on, wasn’t remotely shocking. It was still terrifying, though. It meant they were still being watched. Whatever Seven was doing, Unknown was aware of it. 

Well, that’s one way to consider their entire master plan ruined. Or to proceed with caution, though Chaeyoung couldn’t imagine how that would be possible.

She breathed in, tried to calm her heart rate. Get her now damp hands to stop shaking. After a few seconds, she looked back at the chat, where Yoosung and Jaehee were talking as if nothing had happened.

Chaeyoung: Did this thing just glitch?

It was probably dangerous to bring it up, but she needed to know something.

Kang Jaehee: :questionemoji:

Kang Jaehee. It did freeze for a second.

Yoosung: Yeah my app froze too.

Chaeyoung: Oh… that was it. 

Her brows furrowed, heart racing once again. Why did theirs freeze when hers glitched completely. What about the messages? Does that mean she was the only one to see them? Did Seven also experience them? He was also in the chatroom and holding onto his silence.

707: Yeah uh

707: there Was a glitch in here…. not good

Kang Jaehee: Oh…

Yoosung: omg is it that unknown guy again???? I thought V had dealt with him

707: most likely yeah….

707: I’ll go look into it. laterz

Kang Jaehee: Please do. 

Chaeyoung: Yes. 

Chaeyoung: I’ll also get going. Have to get started on transaction info. 

Kang Jaehee: Goodbye!

She left the chat and locked her phone, setting it on the table to breathe deeply. _Seven will take care of it,_ she told herself, trying to get the feeling of lasers at her back to lessen, trying to make the apartment’s walls feel more protective and less exposing. It was somewhat working.

Still, she felt a pressure threatening to crush her. Unknown gave them a very clear message: either be sneakier or be faster. And right now, the latter was more appealing, though it made their rescue attempt feel more and more like an impossible feat. It would be easier on her if she could control this the way Seven could. Chaeyoung wasn’t fond of surrendering, putting her whole trust in someone else. But now, it was the only option.

She took a deep breath and turned back to her laptop, where an excel sheet lay before her. It would be a long afternoon, but the money wasn’t going to distribute itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have a hand kink what about it


End file.
